Ever since Lewis Hamilton made his official debut as a Ferrari driver in a private test at the team’s Fiorano Circuit, many parallels have been drawn between the Briton’s arrival and Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari debut all the way back in 1995.
While both these drivers came in with a lot of hype behind them — Schumacher was only a two-time world champion back then, and Hamilton now is a seven-time world champion — the eras of the sport have drastically changed, meaning their respective receptions by the Tifosi are also very different.
On The Race’s F1 podcast, Jon Noble explained, “I think what we recall at the time was Schumacher’s arrival was massive.” He then went on to explain exactly what the differences were between the coverages exactly 30 years apart.
“What is different between then and now definitely is how F1 is covered. Back then it was just newspapers, magazines. I’m not sure there were any websites back in those days at all. Whereas now, rolling new service, endless Instagram posts, social media, hype, podcasts, videos, everything,” he added.
Back in the day, Schumacher‘s first Fiorano test was witnessed by the Tifosi who were at the circuit only by word of mouth. Today, Hamilton’s test has garnered a lot more attention with many publications reporting about it extensively in advance. Even Ferrari posted on their social media channels to showcase his day with pictures, videos, and features.
The first drive in a Ferrari – in white overalls because their time together only began in 1996 -, the start of one of the greatest love stories in sport. #OTD, 1995 Erste Ausfahrt in einem Ferrari, noch im weissen Overall. Start einer der größten Liebesgeschichten im Sport. pic.twitter.com/Xycn2kx6mM
— Michael Schumacher (@schumacher) November 21, 2021
But within all these differences, the circumstances at Ferrari feel a bit like deja vu. When Schumacher made his debut for the iconic Italian team, they had gone winless since 1983. With Jean Todt newly at the helm, Schumacher was seen as the messiah who would finally end the team’s title drought.
Hamilton finds himself in a similar boat. The last time Ferrari won the Constructors’ title was in 2008 (ironically the year when Hamilton won his first drivers’ title). With Frederic Vasseur undertaking a renaissance at Ferrari since 2023, Hamilton is the Tifosi’s hope to break their 16-year-old winless streak.
Can Hamilton repeat Schumacher’s successes at Ferrari?
It is pertinent to note that Schumacher wasn’t an overnight success at Ferrari. The German driver worked hard to assimilate with the team around him and build them up to championship status. It was only in 1999 (four years after his debut) that Ferrari won the Constructors’ title again.
Since then, Schumacher went on to dominate with the Scuderia, etching an iconic dynasty in the sport with five consecutive titles to his name from 2000 to 2004. Can Hamilton emulate this trajectory with the team?
First things first, Schumacher joined the team at the age of 27. So, he had the luxury of time, which allowed him to rebuild the squad into a title-winning outfit. Hamilton, on the other hand, joins them as a 40-year-old. Despite his willingness to be patient, the #44 driver doesn’t have time on his hands as Schumacher did.
That said, Schumacher joined Ferrari at a time when the Scuderia’s car was both unreliable and unable to consistently fight at the top of the field. Hamilton comes into the fold with a proven car concept in the ground effect era that marginally lost out to McLaren, last year, in the Constructors’ battle.
