LEWIS HAMILTON: And now I'm aiming for Red.

The beginnings in karting. The first successes. Then in F1, a winning career like no other. At 40 years old, for the "Sir", king of lifestyle and voice of social battles, the most fascinating challenge now arrives, that of driving a Ferrari.

Originally Published in: SPORTWEEK, La Gazzetta dello Sport

Originally Published on: Jan 7th 2025

Originally Written by: Luigi Perna

ⓒ SPORTWEEK

His front cover face goes far beyond Formula 1. He is no longer just a driver, a champion, the most successful of all time in his sport. He is a character, an icon, a symbol. A bearer of messages that transcend racing and touch on disparate worlds such as fashion, lifestyle, social projects, and battles for rights. Lewis Hamilton, with his triumphs, has brought the wind of change, represented by the black colour of his Mercedes and the Mission 44 foundation that finances initiatives in schools for disadvantaged minorities. His global fame has been the instrument to reach millions of people, conveying a vision. In 2025, the seven-time world champion will join a brand that is also an icon: Ferrari. Ready to write, at 40 years old, another chapter, perhaps the most fascinating, of his incredible career.

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THE BEGINNINGS It all started with a boy who dreamed of becoming great. A little boy raised in Stevenage, a London commuter suburb, who was discriminated against and bullied in class for the color of his skin. His bedroom, with a poster of Ayrton Senna hanging on the walls, was a refuge. It was his father Anthony who had him start karting, taking on four jobs to cover the expenses, and Lewis remembers that at first he had a second-hand kart with which he challenged his wealthier peers driving much more powerful vehicles. Then the word began to spread from England about a kid who was a phenomenon on the track. "At that time it was difficult to get information, but we knew about this little driver who was fast because he was the only person of color. He won the 'Stars of Tomorrow' championship, which awarded a scholarship to McLaren, and that’s how Ron Dennis met him and signed him when Lewis wasn't even 13 yet," says Dino Chiesa, the karting manager who first made Hamilton race internationally. "I remember he came to do a couple of races in Italy, then Keke Rosberg decided to create a team for his son Nico and approached me, suggesting to Dennis to include Lewis in the team as well. So we started working together." The team was called Mbm, an acronym for Mercedes Benz McLaren, and with that team Hamilton won the European championship and the World Cup in Motegi, missing out on the world title due to an engine failure. "He was already very determined back then. He knew he had to do more than others to stand out, coming from a normal family, so he just wanted to win. I remember the World Championship in Braga, in the last round it was decided who between him and Nico would start from pole and I advised them not to do anything foolish, but on the last lap Lewis attacked Nico and overtook him on the outside, taking an enormous risk. The character was already that of Hamilton. I am sure that at Ferrari he will not give anything to Leclerc. And I bet that if he can win the title, he will finish ahead."

ⓒ SPORTWEEK

GROWTH Lewis is predestined. He excelled in all categories until the age of twenty, standing out in Formula Renault, F.3 Euro Series, and GP2, before making his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2007. In the lower ranks, he raced with Art, a team then led by Frederic Vasseur, the current team principal of Ferrari, a key figure in Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025. It was the Frenchman who acted on the suggestion of president John Elkann, convincing Lewis to transfer to Maranello. "We've known each other for twenty years, and I know that in his mind there has always been the idea of racing one day for the red team; we discussed it back in 2004, when Lewis wasn't even in Formula 1 yet," Vasseur revealed. What he couldn't have imagined is how much that talented young man would win in the meantime.

WITH MCLAREN Hamilton's baptism of fire was immediately meeting Fernando Alonso at McLaren. Their fierce struggle, spiced with some low blows and sensational controversies, inflamed the British superstar's first season in GP racing. Kimi Raikkonen took advantage of it, gifting Ferrari what remains to this day the last drivers' title for the Prancing Horse, but Lewis climbed onto the podium in his debut race in Melbourne and won in Canada at the sixth GP, narrowly missing the title. The following year, he achieved his goal by snatching the World Championship from Felipe Massa in a dramatic fashion on the last lap in Brazil. A star was born. But Hamilton's six years at McLaren-Mercedes were not happy in retrospect, even though he fought for the title in 2010 and 2012 as well. The following year, he would embrace the Mercedes project, convinced by Niki Lauda, turning the page. "Since I've been in Formula 1, I've learned a lot about myself and started to share it," he would say. "Especially after leaving McLaren, finally expressing myself as a person and no longer just as a product."

THE GOLDEN YEARS The transition to Mercedes marks a turning point. It is there that Hamilton, now on the verge of thirty, enters a new dimension. He is no longer the young man with a shaved head and timid smile who had just entered Formula 1. He is a mature champion, a man enriched by many experiences, and above all, a driver at the peak of his career. The era of hybrid power units is dominated by the Silver Arrows, with Toto Wolff at the helm of the Anglo-German powerhouse, and Lewis returns to win the title in 2014 after a home battle with old friend-rival Nico Rosberg, inaugurating an era of triumphs that will last until 2020. With Mercedes, he has won six World Championships, reaching 105 career victories (exceeding the previous record of 91 that belonged to Michael Schumacher) and 104 pole positions. No one like him. And it is worth noting that at first, leaving McLaren for a Mercedes that wasn’t winning seemed like a crazy bet. "One day I would like to create a museum to display all my helmets and maybe even the cars with which I won," Hamilton said a few days ago while greeting Wolff at the team's English headquarters in Brackley. "It would be a nice way to inspire the kids, showing where I have managed to arrive starting from a young age with remote-controlled cars."

THE FUTURE And now that child who dreamed is preparing to cross the gates of Ferrari. He has become Sir Lewis, knighted for sporting merits, thanks to King Charles III. He is still the spokesperson of battles for diversity and inclusivity. He cares about the planet, the climate, and peace in the world. He has a universe of interests that range from cinema to fashion. The "rock star" with the braids will be the brand ambassador of the Prancing Horse in all its forms, from clothing lines to lifestyle. A phenomenon even for marketing. But above all, he will be a champion with a mission. Another challenge to win. "I am motivated, I will give my best with Ferrari and I can't wait to start," Hamilton said, who has already begun working by taking Italian lessons. The eighth title, lost in Abu Dhabi 2021 on a nightmare night that saw Max Verstappen triumph amid controversy, is the only goal that he lacks. And Lewis wants to achieve it with the red car. What a story it would be!

[Translation proof reading by @F1REAKS / X]