With Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in seven months, winning over the Tifosi will be one of his major objectives. Before the seven-time world champion looks to amaze the Ferrari faithful with his on-track skill, he will look to connect with them and George Russell urges him to get up to speed soon.
Hamilton, as many have advised him to, has to learn Italian to settle in at Maranello. It will help him get on the good books of fans very quickly, and ensure better communication within staff, most of whom are from Italy.
Currently in Imola, Hamilton addressed fans ahead of the 2024 Emilia-Romagna GP – his last race at the Imola circuit as a Mercedes driver. The 39-year-old tried to show off his Italian by starting with ‘Buongiorno’ which translates to ‘Good Morning’ in English.
LH: Buongiorno!
GR: Tutto bene?
LH: You speak more Italian than me?
GR: You need to learn and quick! #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/41o3Mrs4XI
— Sir Lewis Updates (@LH44updates) May 18, 2024
His teammate George Russell, however, went a step ahead to ask, ‘Tutto Bene?’, which means ‘Everything okay?’
Amazed, Hamilton admitted that the 26-year-old knows more Italian than he does. Russell took this as an opportunity to take a playful dig at his departing Mercedes partner in crime. He said,
“You need to learn and quick.”
For Hamilton, learning Italian will be one of the priorities ahead of his Ferrari move. Because driving for the Prancing Horse is different from representing any other team in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton could be the savior Ferrari needs
Ferrari is the most successful team in Formula 1 history, with arguably the most passionate set of fans. Former engineer Rob Smedley terms them as the only “National Team” in the sport and feels that Hamilton will thrive in the environment.
He reminds the 39-year-old that driving for Ferrari asks for just one thing in return from a driver – success.
Ferrari hasn’t won the world championship in 16 years, and with Hamilton also desperate for his eighth world championship, the partnership between them has everything needed to be successful on paper.
The experience Hamilton will bring to the team is invaluable, and the Stevenage-born driver can help the team work well off-track too, according to boss Frederic Vasseur.
Before Hamilton moves to Ferrari, however, he has 18 more races to take part in this campaign, starting with Imola on Sunday. In front of his future home fans, the Briton will be looking to put up a memorable performance.
