Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move, which was announced officially just over a year ago, came as a shocker to most. Just months before, he had put pen to paper on a new Mercedes deal, and all signs pointed to him seeing out his career with the Silver Arrows. But Hamilton wanted to chase his ‘childhood dream’.
He insisted that driving for Ferrari had always been a dream, though some — including Fernando Alonso — dismissed it as ‘just another thing drivers say upon joining a new team’. After all, Hamilton — the most successful driver in F1 history — had spent 12 years at Mercedes, racking up trophies and shattering records. It seemed that only the team’s slump had finally pushed him to jump ship.
However, his father and biggest supporter, Anthony Hamilton, revealed that driving in Ferrari red had in fact, always been his son’s dream.
Anthony was arguably one of the happiest people in Albert Park on Sunday. He was full of smiles ahead of the season opener and was eagerly answering questions regarding Hamilton‘s much-anticipated Ferrari debut. In the build-up to the start of the Australian Grand Prix, the 40-year-old’s ‘proud father’ recalled the origins of his Ferrari dream.
“Absolutely phenomenal…” he told an ESPN reporter. “The dream of a young boy of five years of age that said he wanted to race cars and to race a Ferrari and here we are today 35 years later, he’s driving a Ferrari.”
“The dream of a young boy of five years of age that said he wanted to race cars and to race a Ferrari and here we are today 35 years later, he’s driving a Ferrari”
Anthony Hamilton being interviewed by ESPN Latin America before the race today. pic.twitter.com/SqilPigi0R
— el (@xndacomets) March 16, 2025
At five years old, Hamilton had no ties to McLaren or Mercedes — Ferrari was likely the first team he ever admired. However, it was McLaren who scouted him, nurtured his talent, and ultimately gave him the platform to win his first title in 2008. His move to Mercedes in 2013 then took him to even greater heights, adding six more championships to his name.
Looking back, without those formative years at McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton’s lifelong dream of driving for Ferrari might never have become a reality.
Anthony was there, right by his side through all of it, just as he was at the Australian GP. Sadly, it wasn’t the Ferrari debut Hamilton had hoped for, with rain and miscommunication with his race engineer limiting him to a P10 finish. Regardless, Anthony was one of the standout figures of the weekend.
Anthony being a father to Hamilton’s ‘biggest fan’
Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari outing was one of the major talking points of the season opener in Melbourne. Another was the arrival of six rookies in F1, including Isack Hadjar — one of Hamilton’s biggest fans on the grid.
It wasn’t a pleasant outing for most of the youngsters. Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, and Jack Doohan had all crashed out mid-race. But it was worse for Hadjar, who terminally damaged his car even before the lights went out.
During the formation lap, his car hit a wet spot on the grid and hit the barriers, leaving him devastated. On his way back to the paddock, however, the 20-year-old found the comforting shoulder of Anthony. “There’s a lot of pressure, all the way up. I just wanted to give him a hug, I behaved like a father,” the Briton said later.
It was a heartwarming moment that earned praise from all corners of the F1 community. For Hadjar, it was a lesson that making mistakes is part of the journey, but moving forward is just as important. “Anthony told me to keep my head high and be proud,” Hadjar shared, revealing the advice he received from his idol’s father.
