Lewis Hamilton, long a thorn in Ferrari’s side, will emerge as a potential hero on the Italian circuit this weekend. The Imola Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will be Hamilton’s first race in front of the Ferrari faithful since signing with the Scuderia in February, although he still drives for Mercedes. fan Hamilton embodies the vision of a return to scarlet glory.
Hamilton shocked F1 and Mercedes when he announced he had reached a deal to join Ferrari in 2025, the team he has been with since the start of his career. Ferrari last won the drivers’ title in 2007, when Kimi Raikkonen beat Hamilton to the title in the British driver’s debut season. A year later, Hamilton denied the crown to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in a nerve-wracking final in Brazil.
Since then he’s worked hard with Ferrari, going up against Fernando Alonso at McLaren and then beating Sebastian Vettel multiple times at Mercedes.It’s been spiked and tested like fan While they admired his talent, it was clear they weren’t having the fun at the expense of the riders. Hamilton won at Imola in 2020 and has five wins at Monza, with fans flocking out to the checkered flag when Mercedes dominates.
He says it was a childhood dream of his to drive for Ferrari and that Hamilton will be part of the team’s dream of ending the team’s title drought as part of a rebuild orchestrated by team principal Fred Vasseur.
As a driver who relishes new challenges, he takes up this challenge at the Enzo Dino Ferrari circuit, named in honor of the founder of the Scuderia and his son, although he is not yet sure How fans will react.
“There’s going to be a big crowd here, there always has been, and they’re giving it their all, fan, I’m looking forward to meeting them,” he said. “I think I’ve always had good support here in the past and the competition here is strong. I’m excited to see the people but I don’t know what to expect.
In the fan zone, the answer is obvious. Ferrari fans are full of excitement, anticipation and huge enthusiasm for Hamilton’s arrival.
“It’s going to be an incredible thing, we know Lewis is a seven-time world champion, a master of the sport, the greatest,” said Andrea Cali, a 17-year-old from Piedmont. Andrea Cagliari, who has followed F1 for ten years, said he was just a baby when Ferrari last won. “I can’t wait for Bahrain 2025, Lewis is a very, very good driver.”
They are not alone. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, who was team principal when Ferrari last won the constructors’ title in 2008, has no doubts.
“I’m looking forward to a warm welcome from the Reds fans for Lewis,” he said ahead of the weekend’s meeting. “Lewis is an iron man, just like Fernando Alonso. He is 100 per cent excited and ready to take on the next challenge at Ferrari and I have no doubts about his motivation and preparation.
For now fan Hamilton had to wait as he spent the year driving a still uncompetitive Mercedes. Despite the upgrades at Imola, team principal Toto Wolff warned the car was still several races away from overcoming handling issues exacerbated by a lack of downforce and a very narrow operating window moving forward. step.
At Imola, then Ferrari, who also brought significant updates, appear to have little to worry about Hamilton as they look to prove they are the team most capable of beating championship leaders Red Bull.
The race will also mark the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death at the San Marino Grand Prix here on May 1, 1994. Hitting the wall at speeds per hour. He was taken to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later. That he is still held in such high esteem is evident throughout Imola.
The trackside memorial in Brazil is a simple bronze statue of the driver, head bowed in thought, with flowers and candles year-round. The place was packed this weekend and filled with tributes. Flags 50 meters long in both directions are also hung on the fence behind the statue. Almost every flag is engraved with personal information.
These are heartfelt honours, and F1 will also honor the three-time champion, with many drivers wearing Senna headgear and the team using the “Senna 30” logo on the cars. Ahead of the race, Vettel will take to the track in Senna’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8, the car in which the Brazilian achieved a stunning victory at Donington Wet.
Ferrari’s newfound hopes in practice were anything but smooth sailing, with Hamilton infuriating championship leader Max Verstappen when he accidentally blocked the Dutchman on a flying lap. Verstappen responded by driving up to Hamilton’s car and gesturing to him.
Hamilton held up his hands in apology, acknowledging his mistake, but Verstappen, frustrated by a car that was difficult to set up and lacked grip and balance, only finished seventh in the second practice session, still felt aggrieved. “This is not the first time,” he said. “You always try to stay calm and it happens again.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won the first session, with teammate Carlos Sainz third and Mercedes’ George Russell second. In the afternoon race, Leclerc once again topped the list, with McLaren Racing’s Oscar Piastri in second, RB Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda in third and Hamilton in fourth.
