Credits: IMAGO Sven Simon

Lewis Hamilton shocked the world earlier this year when he announced he would leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. He fulfills a life-long dream, and in addition to performing well and winning on the track, Hamilton wants to win over the passionate Ferrari fanbase. For that, in a recent video, Hamilton can be seen practicing his Italian.

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An interviewer asked Hamilton to speak a few sentences in Italian, and the 39-year-old replied with a laugh, “I don’t know. I really don’t remember sentences. Oh jeez, I can’t remember. Haven’t had to speak Italian for a long time. I don’t know how good it is. But I spoke about like, I was trying to learn how I was feeling in the corners with the car“.

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Then, Hamilton attempted to repeat what he had just described, in Italian. From this interaction, it was evident that Hamilton needs to practice a lot, if he wants to be fluent in the language. Thankfully, he has been thinking about doing so for a long time.

Hamilton’s Ferrari move became official this season, but he did drop hints about moving to Maranello previously too. These hints were related to him learning Italian, as at the 2023 Italian GP in Monza, the Stevenage-born driver told fans that he had to learn the language, “for sure.” 

Why did Lewis Hamilton decide to join Ferrari in 2025?

Soon after Lewis Hamilton confirmed that he would leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, Toto Wolff explained why the British driver made such a decision, having signed an extension just a few months ago. In an interview, Wolff revealed that Hamilton was not happy with the short-term extension Mercedes offered him.

Ferrari capitalized on the same and offered Hamilton a 1+1 year deal that will last until the end of the 2026 season. Moreover, according to F1 expert Lawrence Barretto, Ferrari also put more effort into making Hamilton feel welcome.

According to Barretto, Ferrari offered “the world” to Hamilton. Reports have suggested that the seven-time F1 champion signed a $435 million long-term contract with the iconic Italian stable, that goes beyond his driving duties.

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This deal with Ferrari includes an ambassadorial role for Hamilton after he retires from F1. Additionally, Ferrari also offered Hamilton a sizeable amount of money to fund his charitable organizations such as Mission 44.