Italian MotoGP Icon Opens Up On Lewis Hamilton's Arrival At Ferrari- 'It's A Beautiful Thing'

Lewis Hamilton's bombshell Ferrari arrival has not only been received well by the Tifosi, but even by seven-time MotoGP world champion, Valentino Rossi. The Italian rider praised the new partnership and expressed excitement on witnessing how Hamilton and his new teammate Charles Leclerc perform at Ferrari.

The Briton arrived at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters on January 20, an event that saw the city come to a standstill as the crowds gathered to see their new favorite driver. The seven-time world champion joins Ferrari in the quest for his eighth world title, following a 12-year-long successful partnership with Mercedes, which saw eight Constructors' Championships and six drivers' titles.

Ferrari has been conducting Testing of Previous Cars sessions with both its drivers to get Hamilton acquainted with its F1 machinery. Following the recent test in Barcelona, both drivers are expected to take part in the Pirelli tire test on 4 and 5 February.

After finishing second in last year’s Constructors' Championship, missing out on the title to McLaren by just 14 points, Ferrari is being predicted as one of the favorites this season. The 40-year-old driver's arrival at Ferrari has heightened excitement around the team's championship prospects.

Rossi, who is also the owner of the VR46 Racing Team in MotoGP, reflected on his relationship with Hamilton, dating back to their 2019 machinery swap in Valencia. During the event, Rossi took the wheel of Hamilton's Mercedes-AMG F1 W08, while Hamilton rode the Yamaha M1. Recalling the day, Rossi told Corriere della Sera:

"Beautiful. Dinner and confidences. The next day, I arrived late. I was changing, he entered the motorhome and it was Hamilton dressed as Hamilton. He pointed to the clock: the usual Italians, cappuccino, brioche… He scolded me. He smiled. Not completely though."

Rossi then commented on Hamilton's Ferrari move, expressing without a doubt that he would do well there. He added:

"Of course, it's a beautiful thing. Seeing him there, in the red overalls, excites me too.I really want to see how he does. And how Leclerc does."

Rossi has enjoyed the rare privilege of driving a Ferrari F1 car during the days of F1 legend Michael Schumacher in 2005. Explaining his encounter with F1's first seven-time world champion, the former MotoGP rider said:

"I have a wonderful memory of Schumi. It was known that years before I had bet on Jacques Villeneuve, therefore against him. So, when we found ourselves in the garage I was a bit paranoid. Now he looks at me and thinks, here he is, the idiot... instead he was very kind, he gave me a lot of advice. A real hunk". [Translated by Google.]