Stefano Domenicali Believes Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari Red Would Be “Huge” for F1
In 2025, Lewis Hamilton will conclude his time with Mercedes to pursue a lifelong dream of driving for Ferrari. As the most accomplished driver in history, Hamilton’s partnership with the sport’s most successful team could significantly boost F1’s popularity. CEO Stefano Domenicali recognizes this potential and is excited to see Hamilton in Ferrari colors.
Domenicali believes that Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will attract new viewers to F1. Given Hamilton’s global popularity, even those previously uninterested in the sport might be drawn to watch him race for Ferrari. As quoted by Motorsport, he said,
“I have no doubt that the first images of Lewis in the red suit will be seen worldwide, I’m certain of it… When you consider the communication power of Ferrari combined with that of Lewis Hamilton, it would create an incredibly powerful and explosive partnership.”
From a financial perspective, Domenicali’s claims have already been validated by the results.
Ferrari’s stock jumped by 10% on the New York Stock Exchange, translating to a $7 billion increase, just days after Hamilton’s move was confirmed.
However, the full financial impact that F1 will gain from this new partnership remains to be seen.
Ferrari, on the other hand, is focused on track success, having spared no effort in securing the Briton. President John Elkann is set to invest $100 million annually in the 39-year-old, covering his salary and benefits that will go directly to his charity, Mission 44. In exchange, Ferrari has one goal—a World Championship.
What Hamilton brings to the table
Hamilton is one of the most experienced and successful drivers in F1 history. With seven World titles and 105 race wins, this is the legacy he will bring to Ferrari in 2025.
Ferrari’s last World Championship victory was in 2008. Since then, they’ve shown flashes of potential but haven’t been able to launch a serious title challenge—a situation they hope to change with Hamilton joining the team.
Hamilton is also known for his ability to elevate his team’s performance.
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, noted that he would miss how Hamilton continually pushed the engineers to perform at their best.
Hamilton is hopeful that Ferrari will be in a stronger position when he joins them compared to their current performance. When he made the decision to switch teams, Ferrari was outpacing Mercedes, but the situation has since reversed. Despite this, Hamilton emphasized that he has no regrets about his decision and is confident that Ferrari will be winning races by the time he arrives next year.
