Italy celebrates F1 'world coup' as Ferrari captures Hamilton

In fairness, Corriere della Sera also states that Hamilton’s arrival is not the only significant development at Ferrari, describing it as “just the beginning of a revolution that started from the relationship with the boss [Fred] Vasseur” and adding that loyal technicians are also on their way.

While there’s clear joy at the most famous and successful F1 driver choosing to join Ferrari – one subheading talking of Hamilton in terms of “Grit, class and the dream of wearing red: The phenomenon is hunting for his eighth title” – just like the majority of the rest of the sporting world, it was the shock of the move that dominates much of Italy’s reaction.

In Il Messaggero, where Hamilton again features on the front page of the Rome-based daily, the opening paragraph to the story dominating the sports pages sums that up.

“A bolt of lightning you don’t expect. A rare flower that seemed like it would never bloom again. The parable of Ferrari, the most prestigious and successful team in the three-quarters of a century of history of F1, and that of the baronet Lewis Hamilton, the driver with a cabinet full of trophies like no other, will truly intersect.”

Now, I can’t say flying from London to Rome ahead of an England rugby match – and therefore surrounded by more English than Italians – is a fair sample set as Hamilton’s name was overheard a few times onboard, but given the fact we’re 250 miles south of Maranello I also was never expecting an overt outpouring of Ferrari support in a football-mad city.

And yet, in doing my best Football Italia-era James Richardson impression and sitting outside a cafe with multiple papers opened to coverage of Hamilton’s move, it certainly triggered a conversation nearby in a group that had been trying to work out what the weird English bloke was up to.

Jean Alesi’s column in Corriere della Sera speaks of Hamilton’s signing being “A signal to all of F1” and adding “It will be an exciting duel with Charles”, and the latter point reminds just how quickly this will turn into a focus on the future.

“I think what I have always tried to do as a team principal – and all of us at Mercedes – is to be transparent and fair and nothing will change in that respect in 2024,” Toto Wolff said on Friday of how he will manage the coming year. “We owe it to our principles and our racing intent – how we go about – and we will respect that. And I’m sure the drivers will respect that.

“In terms of the development going forward, I think it’s something we have to look at. The regulations stay pretty much the same and when it comes to 2025, we will evaluate later in the season what it means in terms of technical information, but it is not something that bothers me at all.

“We have engineers who leave to go to other teams, and the notice periods are sometimes as short as six months, so I don’t have any doubt in terms of Lewis’ integrity in terms of sharing information. We want to make sure this is a successful season for both drivers and a successful season for Mercedes. All of us will give our utmost to achieve that.”

It’s all Wolff can do, but he perhaps overlooks the incessant focus on Hamilton’s decision and impending move that will follow both Mercedes and Ferrari around for the entirety of this year. How each team and the driver himself performs is going to be seen in a very different context knowing what is to come in 2025.

For now, Italy is celebrating Ferrari’s “world coup”, but once the reality sinks in the excitement is going to give way to a heavily-scrutinised season ahead.