The news that held sway in the 2024 pre-season was certainly that Lewis Hamilton would move to Ferrari starting from the next F1 season. There were many people who did not approve of this choice, first of all many long-time Cavallino fans who do not understand the reason for such a move, especially if we consider that Sir Lewis is no longer a youngster in the world in which he competes.
On the other hand, it would seem that such a triumphal passage was wanted by Hamilton as much as by the higher ups at Ferrari, Elkann first and foremost. However, doubts remain regarding what the relationships will be within the Scuderia di Maranello, given that the 7-time world champion will certainly be intent on winning and imposing himself rather than giving space to the young Monegasque talent. A fight between two roosters within the same henhouse is therefore almost with absolute certainty.
The CEO and president of Formula 1, the Italian Stefano Domenicali, also spoke about the issue:
“Some people think there is no need for the seven-time champion of the world, I know the reasoning. But this is wrong reasoning. Ferrari has made a great operation, not just at a marketing level. It’s a strategic choice, that’s it. He’s not too old, I’m present at all the races, Hamilton hasn’t lost any of his talent and is still hungry for success“.
The former Ferrari number 1 then continued by specifying:
“Schumi was the absolute dominus, Irvine was clearly a number two. Lewis will have to compete with someone like Leclerc, who will never accept domestique duties. But I believe that Fred is perfectly capable of managing a situation that he helped to determine in the first place. In my opinion they are working well in Maranello. In Melbourne the Scuderia offered an extraordinary demonstration of competitiveness. Then of course I also continue to consider Verstappen the logical favourite. But Ferrari made a leap forward, it pulled away from the other teams, for example Mercedes.”