'Don' Hamilton's fall will only be harder because of this hype at Ferrari

Of course, there is something romantic about it: the most successful Formula One driver ever to drive for the most legendary brand known to F1. Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari together are obviously a 'match made in heaven' and that was reflected in his first days in red.

Well before his first metres in a Ferrari, rumours were already coming out about the possible day Hamilton would step into the car. Ferrari deliberately kept its mouth  shut so as not to cause problems. After all, the Fiorano circuit is located inbetween public roads, so it would be completely congested by the crowds of people that had flocked.

Don Hamilton in Maranello

Hamilton was welcomed as a hero in Maranello. In his neat suit, with a coat over it, he resembled Don Corleone from the famous Godfather film series. He shook hands and chatted with the people within the team.

Naturally, every step was closely followed by a camera crew. If you have Hamilton at Ferrari, you must make use of that billboard, of course. The new yellow helmet that Hamilton wore for his test generated a lot of online excitement. Replicas of it will undoubtedly fly off the digital shelves.

The hype around Hamilton’s arrival had already been massive, and understandably so. In recent weeks, however, it has only increased, and once the season truly begins, it will reach its peak. The big question is, can Hamilton live up to these sky-high expectations?

Can Hamilton even meet the expectations?

At 40 years old, Hamilton is no longer physically at his peak, which is simply inevitable. The past few years have shown a decline in his performance, particularly as he struggled against George Russell at Mercedes. In 2024, he was especially outperformed by his younger teammate in qualifying.

Even in 2021, when Hamilton came very close to an eighth world title, his declining form was already visible. Yes, Max Verstappen had luck with the safety car at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and how Michael Masi decided to end that race, but Max had simply been more consistent throughout the entire season.

It wasn’t Michael Masi, but Hamilton himself who was at fault for his defeat to Max. Hamilton had missed out on points multiple times, with Monaco and especially Azerbaijan being the biggest mistakes of the season. At that point, Hamilton had already been beaten by the leader of the new generation. Why would he suddenly be in a better position four years later?

All of this makes the current hype surrounding Hamilton even more thrilling. It’s beautiful: two icons coming together, but in the end, it’s about the performance on the track. This is elite sport. And precisely in that regard, Hamilton has delivered less in recent years. If that happens again at Ferrari, the fall from the pedestal that his fans have placed him on will be all the harder.