A magnet called Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton, the last great champion who fell under the charm of the most glamorous team in Formula 1

Lewis Hamiltononly Lewis Hamilton and no one else other than Lewis Hamilton knows in detail the reasons that led him to agree Ferrari one of the loudest transfers in the history of Formula 1 after 11 seasons in Mercedes (plus the one that starts on March 2 in Bahrain), in which he achieved 82 victories and six championships. To the millions and the contractual conditions possibly negotiated, as well as the sporting challenge of winning a historic eighth title, undoubtedly important factors, there was certainly also addedThe seduction generated by the most important team in history of the highest category of world motorsport.

The partnership between the driver with the most titles (7, the same as Michael Schumacher), most victories (103), most pole positions (104) and most podiums (197) and the team with most victories (244), most pole positions (249) and most drivers’ (15) and constructors’ championships (16) It seemed chimerical until a few hours ago. “I still feel at home in this family. “I see myself with Mercedes until my last days”the Englishman said in March last year. “There’s no place I’d rather be”, he underlined at the end of August, prolonging his bond with the Brackley team. However, these days a third person has appeared and that love story has dissolved.

Hamilton, who is 39 years old and has a presumably short future in the category, as he has repeatedly warned, will seek his eighth title with a team that has shown good progress in the last two years, but was very far from achieving it. fight for the crown.with Red Bull AND in 2023 he also finished behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Cup, after a series of mistakes and strategic failures that put him at the center of questions. However, Ferrari is much more than this: It is also the most prestigious team, the one with the most support among the fans and the one in which (almost) every driver wants to race sooner or later.

THE Stablefounded by Enzo Ferrari in 1947, it is the only one to have participated in 74 seasons of Formula 1 since 1950 and the one that manages almost all the statistical departments of the category, even if it is now experiencing lean days: its last drivers’ championship obtained in 2007, with the Finns Kimi Raikkonen. It is the second longest drought in their history, after the 21 uncelebrated years that elapsed between the South African title Jody Scheckterin 1979, and the first of Michael Schumacher in the team, in 2000. And they haven’t won in the Constructors’ Cup since 2008.

Fifty-two drivers of 18 nationalities have represented Ferrari in the 1073 competitions in which it has participated in these 74 years. Among them, only nine have won titles Juan Manuel Fangio (in 1956). Schumacher won five in a row at the dawn of the 21st century (between 2000 and 2004) and other team heroes such as the Italian were also celebrated Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953), the English John Surtees (1964) and the Austrian Niki Lauda (1975 and 1977).

But there is also a long list, to which Hamilton will try not to add, of illustrious racers who could not dedicate themselves to a red car. Among these, the French quadruple champion stands out Alain Prostarrived in Maranello in 1990, after winning three titles with McLarento try to beat up his former employer, who had Ayrton Senna as an emblem. But in his two years at Ferrari he capitulated to the Brazilian before moving to Williams to win his fourth title.

Another quadruple champion, the German Sebastian Vettel, remained in the team for six years (between 2015 and 2020), in which he failed to defeat Hamilton. They also couldn’t celebrate a championship with the Spanish team Fernando Alonsothe British Nigel Mansellthe Austrian Gerhard Bergerthe Swiss Clay Regazzoni and the Canadian Gilles Villeneuveamong others.

But Ferrari is much more than races or championships won. It has long exceeded the limits of a Formula 1 team. It is also a symbol of status, technological development and excellence. And she has become a cultural icon. Its logo, that of prancing Horseit is universally identifiable, more than that of any other car manufacturer (even surpassing the three-pointed star of Mercedes Benz).

The fans of James Bond can tell in great detail the opening scene of Golden eyein which Famke Janssenaboard a Ferrari F355, e Pierce Brosnan, aboard an Aston Martin DB5, protagonist of a dizzying race on a mountain road on the French Riviera. This is just one of many easily identifiable appearances of a vehicle from the Italian brand in a film or series. They have also been seen in other artistic expressions and the 296 GTB model is also part of the popular video game Fortnite.

Ferrari iconography is not limited to this. In 2023, the company reported profits of $5.6 billion. This was, to a large extent, the product of the sale of vehicles, but also the marketing of products as diverse as T-shirts, pens, models, bags, leather jackets, glasses, watches and sneakers. All with the logo Rampant horse.

The combination of sport, history and marketing has earned Ferrari a huge following of enthusiasts in every corner of the planet.. It will be up to sociologists to explain the phenomenon of crowds passionately expressing their passion for a company dedicated to the production of motor vehicles, behavior that is replicated throughout the country in Argentina. Road tourismwith fans of ford, Chevrolet, Turin AND dodge. But what happens, happens.

In Baku and Las Vegas, in Singapore and Sao Paulo, in Suzuka and Montreal, in Jeddah and Mexico City. In any circuit in the world where Formula 1 puts on its show, the stands are full of red t-shirts and flags with the logo of the Italian brand. To date, no team has managed to stop this mass movement that will support Lewis Hamilton from 2025 onwards. Eight years ago, when he enjoyed that support, Sebastian Vettel declared: “They are all Ferrari fans. Even if they say no, they are Ferrari fans.”