Is there a possibility of Lewis Hamilton making a brief visit to Ferrari during F1’s visit to Imola?
Damon Hill, the 1996 World Champion, has warned Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to think twice about visiting Ferrari’s Maranello factory after this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
This weekend will see Hamilton race on Italian soil for the first time since announcing that he will join Ferrari on a multi-year-contract from the F1 2025 season.
Lewis Hamilton to visit Ferrari while on Mercedes duty?
Since Eddie Irvine in 1999, he will be the first British driver to race full-time for the renowned Scuderia.
This weekend at the historic Imola circuit, the Ferrari fans, famously called the tifosi, are eagerly anticipating a jubilant welcome for the seven-time World Champion.
During his appearance on the F1 Nation podcast alongside Hill, Tom Clarkson, the host of the press conference, predicted that Hamilton would entertain the audience and generate a positive atmosphere at the inaugural European race of the F1 2024 season.
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He expressed curiosity about the kind of reception Lewis will receive from the tifosi at Imola this weekend.
“I believe he will perform for the audience, and I anticipate witnessing waves coming from the cockpit.”
From the Imola pit lane, a captivating sight awaits on the left: a hill that will soon be adorned in red. It is my belief that he will depart Imola with an undeniable sense of satisfaction.
“It will be a spectacle with crowds chanting his name, adorned with banners. The atmosphere will be truly magnificent.”
“And, considering that Imola is just 56 miles away from Maranello, it is quite certain that he will visit there on the Monday following the race, isn’t it?”
He then jokingly suggested to Hill, “Why don’t you and I go there, wait outside Ferrari on Monday, and give him a warm welcome? I’m positive he’ll be there. It only makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Despite this, Hill argued that Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes, would not approve of Hamilton’s visit to Ferrari’s headquarters while he is still bound by his current contract.
He made a joke, asking, “Do you think Toto will say, ‘Listen, you can leave, but you must bring back some information’?”
“I’m unsure, but it’s possible to envision Toto’s response as: ‘Well, you’re still obligated by your contract, my friend. It wouldn’t be advisable to socialize with the adversary just yet.'”
Following Hamilton’s admission last month about his uncertainty regarding Mercedes’ permission to commence work with Ferrari prior to F1 2025, Hill’s remarks have been made.
It is quite common for drivers to be released ahead of schedule from their contracts when preparing for significant changes. For instance, Sebastian Vettel, who was once a title rival of Hamilton, was granted an early release from his Red Bull contract. This allowed him to participate in testing for Ferrari at Fiorano in November 2014, two months prior to his official joining of the Prancing Horse team.
When questioned about the potential of commencing work with Ferrari prior to the conclusion of F1 2024, Hamilton pledged to seek advice from Wolff regarding this issue.
He expressed his belief that initiating a conversation with Toto would be the initial step, as he admitted his lack of knowledge on how to handle the situation.
“I believe I didn’t join Mercedes until December [2012], when the initial seat fitting took place following the season. I’m uncertain about how I’ll handle it this time.”
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