VOICE OF THE FANS, a TJ13 article about Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari by a long standing F1 fan and expert, Carlo – I remember back in the early 80’s when my father – my hero – first needed my help. At the time it seemed completely incidental but looking back some 40 odd years later I see it almost like a changing of the guard between generations.
To give this some context, my mother and father were Italian immigrants who came to the UK for the betterment of their family. My father, after finishing National Service, completed his apprenticeship in Italy, which included car mechanics and coach-building.
Here in the UK, he worked for several establishments, including Rolls Royce, and was part of the engineers who – at Lola – built the early examples of the Ford GT40 before the project was moved to Dearborn in America.
He owned his own garage, and as a child I remember spending hours at home as he took his own Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV back to nuts and bolts, rebuilding it over several months, as I would sit polishing a hub cap, or grinding an engine valve under his watchful eye – imagining I was being helpful.
He even took me for a spin in a client’s Ferrari Dino, black with cream interior, and when offered it for £3,000, turned it down due to it being impractical for his family. I admit, the years of therapy have helped!
A lifetime addiction born
In 1982, he took me to watch my first ever Grand Prix and in the early 90’s he would engineer my racing car, spray its bodywork and gently guide mine and my friend’s journey.
Yet, for all his abilities, the first time he tried programming the VHS recorder, even following the instructions, he was completely stumped. Of course, at 13 years of age, I didn’t need the written word and effectively programmed two weeks’ worth of TV as he sat shaking his head in disbelief.
In my mid 50’s now, it’s a memory that comes back with a vengeance every time I try to do something new with my phone, or laptop or any other tech, and I’m loathe to try using social media. I scratch my head, try and watch youTube videos and eventually call one of my daughters to help.
All these thoughts came creeping back over the last few weeks as I’ve watched Lewis Hamilton being introduced at Fiorano and testing the old Ferraris and the 2025 edition. Trying to think ahead, I’m guessing readers are wondering how any of this has anything to do with Lewis at Ferrari.
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Of course, Hamilton is 40 years old now and age catches up with us all. Although listening to many incredulous observers, Fernando Alonso seems to have escaped the ravages of time. Trying to explain all this to my daughter, who finds Lando Norris somewhat appealing, has tested my analogical skills to new extremes.
The only way she seemed able to understand why a driver of the calibre of Hamilton would possibly struggle initially with the change of team was to make a comparison of her favourite appendage – her phone. I explained that Sir Lewis has been driving a Mercedes for twelve years until he joined Ferrari.
The change of team, engine, environment and working group would be similar to changing her phone from Android to an Apple. Essentially both cars have four wheels, are built to be the fastest prototypes that designers can build but the subtleties of the cars are fundamentally different and it would take some acclimatising to the new one. I’m not convinced my message got through as it quickly turned to Lando’s latest posting.
Can’t teach an old Hamilton new tricks
Seasoned observers talk about how it will take a number of races for Hamilton to become at one with the car, as proven when he joined Mercedes in 2013, even though he was using the same engine as he had at Mclaren.
They speak about his age and how Charles Leclerc is regarded as the fastest qualifier in F1. “Imagine, if he struggled with George, how Charles will decimate him” Yet, if Hamilton has lost any of his inherent speed, I’d advise he takes a good look at his former mentor – Niki Lauda – and his 1984 season.
Very early on, Lauda realised he couldn’t match Alain Prost in qualifying so he turned his attention to race set-up. The canny old fox took the title using intelligence versus the speed of the younger man.
Since it was revealed, a year ago now, that Hamilton was joining ‘my’ team, I have struggled to make sense of it. It’s very easy for a new signing to talk effusively about his new team and much is rhetoric for the fans and for the media.
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A challenge too far for 40 year old Lewis?
A 27 year old Michael Schumacher wanted a new challenge after Benetton and moved to Maranello to turn the team around. It wasn’t till he’d settled at Ferrari that he began to understand what it actually meant to be a Ferrari driver. Similarly, a 27 year old Sebastian Vettel wanted to emulate his hero, Schumacher, by joining Ferrari but in the midst of the Mercedes juggernaut breaking all records, it would prove futile.
As gifted as Fernando Alonso was at 29 years old, he struggled at Ferrari during his time there, with a team that had lost direction after the departure of Jean Todt and Ross Brawn. Irrespective in my belief that Alonso was, after Senna, the greatest driver I’ve ever witnessed, when he joined Mclaren in 2007, he spoke of wanting to emulate his hero Senna by winning three titles like the Brazilian; and for the third to be with Mclaren who he had supported as a child. At no point did he ever talk about wishing to drive for the Reds.
Hamilton has over the years been linked with Ferrari and to be completely honest I never thought it would happen. Every time contract talks were suggested, it appeared more than likely it was the media creating the narrative. Or the respective teams had contracts with the drivers that left no available space for the move.
Even when he spoke of always wanting to race in red, it felt like something that as a fan of Senna, he wanted to emulate the red overalls that were worn during the Marlboro Mclaren days. Nothing more than wishful thinking because Mclaren doesn’t race in red any longer.
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Wanted a 5 year contract and ambassador role. With Mercedes
Of course, throughout 2024 there was all the contract talks with Mercedes before he finally signed a 1 + 1-year contract. He had been attempting to get a 5-year contract, with Mercedes and Toto Wolff, which would allow him to be a Mercedes brand ambassador after he retired from racing. Something that appears was not countenanced by the Mercedes board who may have baulked at the wage demands.
Then suddenly, with the contract that was signed late in 2024, he had the freedom to call his friends John Elkaan and Fred Vasseur and negotiated a Ferrari contract for 2025 – going forward – with additional funding for his Mission 44 foundation.
After the 2022 and 2023 seasons, I had written an article around this time last year, that I felt James Allison was too over-rated as a Technical Director and that I doubted that any Mercedes that was guided by him would be in contention for any title – merely wins. The fact that Hamilton had signed to Ferrari before the cars even ran in pre-season testing in 2024 appeared damning to me.
It was no surprise that throughout 2024 he had become a shadow of his former self. On occasion, like in Britain, he still drove with sublime spirit when the chance provided itself, yet mostly he was conspicuous by his absence. Only occasionally racing ‘as of old’ like in Las Vegas when his team-mate dominated the race.
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Personally, his qualifying deficit to George Russell never troubled me. Unlike many of his fandom, I’ve never been struck with Lewis being the best qualifier of his generation which makes his ‘record’ pole positions somewhat absurd. Records are not hard to obtain when the machinery at your disposal is the best by a mile.
Do I believe Hamilton has passed his natural peak? Yes, unequivocally. If cloning a human were possible, and maybe in Elon Musk’s world it is, a 30-year-old Hamilton would very likely beat a 40-year-old version. But is he adaptable enough to raise his game, because nothing less will do?
And so, the iconic Hamilton landed in Italy and the press in Britain and Italy went berserk. Much of it claimed thousands had turned out to see his debut at Ferrari, which is a little disingenuous as a new driver is always welcomed in a similar manner. At most maybe a hundred or so more.
Over the last decade, with his interest in fashion, we have grown used to outlandish outfits being worn in paddocks across the world. Most of which no other human would wear – pretty much like the insane haute-couture fashion shows that are routinely conveyed in high class fashion magazines that nobody outside of the catwalk would ever grace their less than perfect bodies with.
Embracing what it means to be Italian
Personally, I liked how Hamilton appeared before the world’s press – standing outside the legendary Enzo Ferrari’s house at Maranello with the, equally legendary, Ferrari F40 parked behind a ‘suited and booted’ 7 time champion.
Whether advised or not, the first images of Hamilton showed him in an outfit that many likened to the Mafia Godfathers. So, it appears, whatever the man does, there’s a faction that want to denigrate. With clothing by Ferragamo, shoes by Louboutin and a look that to me showed respect for Ferrari and Italian culture, Lewis himself added, the inspiration came from the fashion of Enzo Ferrari.
Being born in to an Italian family, a passion for love and family are almost instinctive. An appreciation of the Dolce Vita, in a climate as beautiful as Italy’s, is not a hardship and the appreciation of art, style and family dinners is never from our beating hearts. Probably foremost in every Italians passion is Ferrari.
You will find tribalism displayed at Italian football games, like in every country, but in Italy only one F1 team matters and it’s the Scuderia. Every driver who joins the team will have the whole support and expectation of Italians across the world. And Lewis Hamilton, arguably the most empowered by the fans love, he would have absorbed every moment of his welcome. Beside his respectful attire, what would have made an enormous impact on the watching crowd was he had his family present at his reveal.
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Sir Lewis immerses himself into the cauldron
It’s probably best I come to a conclusion and finish my ramblings. So, what do I expect of Lewis Hamilton this year? In recent weeks, and I’m writing this on the eve of pre-season testing in Bahrain, he’s spoken about his admiration and respect for Vettel and Alonso winning so soon after joining Ferrari after years elsewhere. Carlos Sainz has been reported as saying it will take around six months to fully integrate himself at Williams, so I’d assume a similar time for Lewis.
Besides Alonso and Vettel, I would add Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen to this list covering the last 30 years. Yet I have to caveat this with some realism. Schumacher joined Ferrari for 1996 and had another Ferrari newcomer in Eddie Irvine. Kimi joined Felipe Massa in 2007 and as generous as you want to be neither, Irvine or Massa, would ever be classed elite.
When Alonso joined Ferrari, he was up against Massa as the incumbent, yet I never believed that Felipe – either pre- or post-Hungary 2009 accident – was at Alonso’s level. With Vettel joining a recently destroyed (by Alonso) Raikkonen in 2015 – I’d suggest that whilst all deserve respect, I do not believe Hamilton will find Charles Leclerc an easier team-mate. In fact, anything but…
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Fred Vasseur, they say, has known Hamilton since his GP2 title winning season in 2006. Previous to becoming team principal at Ferrari, his team ART had fielded Leclerc in GP3 in 2016, winning the title, and has been his overall boss since 2023. So that argument doesn’t sway my prediction.
I believe that Leclerc will beat Hamilton in qualifying relatively easy this year – likely also for however long they remain team-mates. Charles is generally accepted as the fastest over a single lap and Lewis is always going to be older.
Irrespective of where Ferrari are, I would also offer that Leclerc will be significantly ahead of Hamilton by mid-season. If there is a championship to chase, I’d wager Ferrari will back the younger driver from then on – of course to the chagrin of some of the slightly unhinged Lewis fanatics.
Personally, I think 2025 is for Hamilton a learning year and his focus will be on the new cars that the 2026 rule change will bring. Much the same path that he trod when he first joined Mercedes in 2013; yet if Leclerc wins the title in 2025, his confidence won’t dimmish any.
Ultimately, If Hamilton manages to attain a podium in Italy, be it Imola or Monza then he will be feted as a Ferrari driver. If circumstances allow him to be the victor at Monza and stand on that glorious podium – trust me, he will truly understand what Ferrari and Italy is about.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
