There is no one better placed than F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali when it comes to knowing what Ferrari means to the Tifosi. Not only is he Italian by descent, but he was also the former team principal for the Scuderia. And as one of F1’s greatest drivers Lewis Hamilton gears up to join the team from Maranello, Domenicali has revealed the words of wisdom he has given to the seven-time world champion to make his latest chapter in Italy a success.
The 59-year-old believes that the key to getting into the hearts of the Tifosi has as much to do with the on-track performance of the team as it is going the extra mile to show them that you want to be loved by them.
“He [Lewis Hamilton] is working hard to learn to speak Italian and understand how to better integrate into our culture. I told him it is very important that he do it,” revealed Domenicali as quoted on X (formerly Twitter).
Stefano Domenicali confirma que Lewis Hamilton ya está aprendiendo italiano:
“Está trabajando duro para aprender a hablar italiano y comprender cómo integrarse mejor en nuestra cultura”
“Le dije que es muy importante que lo haga”.#F1 pic.twitter.com/DUgJOa2UuN
— Fórmula Directa (@FormulaDirecta) December 21, 2024
As it turns out, the #44 driver has taken Domenicali’s advice to heart as he is reportedly taking Italian lessons.
Vasseur offers Hamilton Italian lessons before his Ferrari debut
It always isn’t a given that you need to be fluent in Italian to be the Tifosi’s favorite. Team principal Vasseur is a Frenchman and isn’t as well versed in the language as he would hope to be.
From an operational standpoint, most of the work done in Maranello is in English. The Race quoted Vasseur as saying, “It’s good to speak a little Italian for the mechanics but I’m not sure that it is crucial for performance.”
But the former Sauber boss did jokingly offer the Briton a few lessons if he really wanted to learn the language for the fans. The joke being that Vasseur himself is in need of a few lessons, given his difficulty in grasping the language.
