Seven-time F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton will make his move to Ferrari next year. While the 39-year-old prepares to shift his allegiances to Italy, the #44 driver is also looking to deepen his Italian roots with a rumored acquisition. Hamilton is reportedly on the verge of buying Italian MotoGP outfit, Gresini Racing.
Gresini has been a stalwart of the premier motorbike racing category since the 1990s. They have had many iconic riders compete for them in the past, and made shockwaves in the paddock when they poached six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez away from Honda for 2024.
According to The Race, Lewis Hamilton is in talks to buy the team out from Nadia Padovani, who took over the reigns of the team from her late husband Fausto Gresini when he passed away in 2021.
Exclusive: according to multiple sources, LEWIS HAMILTON is in talks to buy the Gresini Racing MotoGP team https://t.co/r7EnYwyoGX
— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) July 1, 2024
Hamilton‘s interest in acquiring a MotoGP outfit isn’t coming from out of the blue. As it happens, Formula 1’s commercial rights holders, Liberty Media are in the process of acquiring the entirety of the sport from its owners, Dorna Sports.
This news could be a win-win for both entities. Hamilton gets to diversify his sporting and business interests, as he has done with the NFL team, Denver Broncos. On the other hand, Liberty Media CEO, Greg Maffei gets to see F1’s greatest-ever driver become a stakeholder in his latest purchase.
Greg Maffei swoons over Lewis Hamilton as MotoGP plans become apparent
Maffei may not be a self-proclaimed Lewis Hamilton fan. However, the American business mogul is well aware of the marketability the Briton brings to the table. The 39-year-old is on the verge of commencing one of F1’s most sought-after storylines. On the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, Maffei explained why he was so excited to see Hamilton and Ferrari unite.
Speaking to host, Tom Clarkson, the 64-year-old explained, “Obviously, Lewis, our most storied driver – won more titles than anyone in our sport today, and Ferrari, still our most famed name.”
Naturally, Maffei would be more than happy to see Hamilton bring his platform, voice, and fans over to the world of elite motorcycle racing.
In terms of Hamilton’s MotoGP bid, The Race went on to report that the Briton’s representatives were at the Dutch TT weekend at Assen, deliberating upon the commercial viability of a potential buy-out of the satellite Ducati team.
