'Hamilton MANIA' to spark unusual Ferrari issue

Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari and upcoming debut is likely to cause an unusual problem for Ferrari, according to Italian media.

The seven-time world champion is heading to Maranello for the 2025 season and beyond, with attention now switching to when fans might catch a glimpse of Hamilton in red.

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Hamilton's grand prix debut with the team will take place in March at the Australian Grand Prix, but the 40-year-old will likely be seen at pre-season testing in February, as well as a test in an old car around Ferrari's Fiorano track at some point in January.

Both Hamilton and Ferrari's social media pages have officially confirmed him as a Ferrari driver, following his Mercedes farewells at the end of 2024.

Hamilton's Ferrari welcome

Now, an Italian journalist has suggested that unusual challenges may be presented to the team after Hamilton's stunning switch to Ferrari.

The Scuderia's fans, the Tifosi are known to be very passionate, and they have welcomed some huge names with open arms in recent history, including Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

However, the team are faced with giving the most successful driver in F1 history an appropriate welcome to Maranello, with Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero claiming problems could be caused by his popularity.

"A kind of Hamilton mania has already started in Italy," he told the James Allen on F1 podcast.

"Since the New Year began, there is a big question mark that Italian Ferrari fans are trying to answer - when will the first test of Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari car take place?

"I cannot imagine the number of people that will be around the track. I’m expecting the Maranello and Fiorano streets will be filled with people. I’m expecting something that we haven’t seen in years. It will be hard work for the police."

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