Ex-Ferrari Boss Unveils Path to Tifosi’s Heart to Lewis Hamilton: “Told Him It Is Very Important”

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes dressed all in red arrives on the paddock on a race day of Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

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).

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.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
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Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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