F1 Rumor: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Entry Sparks Concern Amongst Tifosi

Lewis Hamilton's unexpected move to Ferrari has reportedly sparked excitement and division among fans.
Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari has sparked intense debate among the passionate Tifosi, according to Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero.

Joining Ferrari under a multi-year contract alongside Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's legendary status comes with 105 Grand Prix wins, 104 pole positions, and seven World Championships. His presence at Ferrari has brought excitement, as well as concern, among the Tifosi.

The surprise of Hamilton's transition to Ferrari is still fresh. Having signed a contract extension with Mercedes up to the end of 2025, his decision to leave the team caught many off guard.

During an appearance on the James Allen on F1 podcast, as quoted by Planet F1, Chinchero explained:

“A big part of the Italian Tifosi is trying to imagine how will be the relationship between Lewis and Charles. It’s a very popular topic in the last weeks.

“There are two opposite opinions about it.

“Some believe that Ferrari will have a dream team, that will be no problem at all, but there are those who believe that it will be not easy for Charles to have such a big personality in the other part of the box.

“But all these answers will come from the track. At the moment what I can confirm is that for many years I did not see so much interest in the season that awaits Ferrari, considering that the engine has not yet been started for the first time.”

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also spoken about how Hamilton's Ferrari entry could impact Leclerc. He explained, as previously reported by Sports Illustrated:

“Charles will, of course, have to accept that someone like Lewis is not an easy teammate.

“Lewis will definitely have the ability to convey his positivity in his efforts to achieve his record.

“They respect each other a lot, and I hope they will continue to do so at the end of the year.”

However, Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur doesn't see it being too much of a problem for Leclerc. He explained:

"You know that it's always a challenge.

"I have my challenge this year between Charles and Carlos, but I think it was part of the performance.

"I'm really convinced that the emulation into the team is key for the performance of the team, and between Charles and Carlos, we had some moments.

"But at the end of the day, I think it was beneficial for the performance of the team. Charles, Lewis, I'm not particularly worried about this.

"They have a huge mutual respect, they know each other, they are speaking about this for months now. And I think it's much better to fight for 1-2 or 2-3 on the grid than to fight for 19-20.

"And I think it's a good issue for a team to have this kind of discussion, this kind of approach. And I'm really convinced again that the performance of the team is coming also from the emulation between the two."


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Lydia Mee
LYDIA MEE

Lydia is the lead editor of F1 editorial. After following the sport for several years, she was finally able to attend the British Grand Prix in person in 2017. Since then, she's been addicted to not only the racing, but the atmosphere the fans bring to each event. She's a strong advocate for women in motorsport and a more diverse industry.