Italy Awaits: Hamilton’s Ferrari Era Begins in Australia

Italy braces for Hamilton’s Ferrari debut at the Australian GP, as Fittipaldi predicts a nation captivated by the historic moment.

Italy could come to a standstill on March 16, during the season’s first Grand Prix.

Emerson Fittipaldi predicts that “the entire country” will pause to watch Lewis Hamilton’s debut with Ferrari.

Hamilton enters his 19th Formula 1 season as a Ferrari driver, having signed a multi-year deal with the Scuderia ahead of the opening race of 2024. Embarking on a new challenge, the 40-year-old hopes his switch from silver to red will finally deliver that elusive eighth Formula 1 World Championship title, unclaimed since 2021.

Ferrari and its tifosi share the same hope, so much so that the two-time world champion Fittipaldi believes all of Italy will be glued to their screens as Hamilton races in red for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix.

“Ferrari is coming back strong. You can imagine that with Lewis at Ferrari, all of Italy will stop on the first Sunday to watch Lewis drive a Rossa!”

“Lewis’s motivation is intact, and joining a new team like Ferrari is a real challenge. Every driver dreams of racing for Ferrari.”

“And I think, at this stage of his life, joining Ferrari, with Frédéric Vasseur, who was his team principal in Formula 3 and Formula 2, is perfect. The family is coming back together, and it will be a great challenge.”

“I can’t wait to see the upcoming season; it should be very exciting for Lewis, and Formula 1 is becoming incredibly competitive now.”