Piero Ferrari Stunned By Lewis Hamilton's Fan Welcome At Maranello - 'True Passion Struck Me'
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Piero Ferrari, the son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari, was left stunned by the overwhelming reception Lewis Hamilton received from the Tifosi upon his arrival at the team's Maranello headquarters on January 20. Just two days later, crowds gathered in massive numbers at the viewing points of Ferrari's iconic Fiorano test track to catch a glimpse of their new favorite driver. Piero was moved by the response and described how all that "passion" struck him.
Hamilton's bombshell Ferrari arrival made headlines across the world. The Tifosi, meanwhile, brought Maranello to a standstill, prompting the mayor to declare an emergency. The seven-time world champion arrived at Ferrari in pursuit of his eighth world championship title, and to fulfill his dream of being a Ferrari driver.
Even before his track debut in Ferrari's SF-23 F1 car at Fiorano, fans braved the early morning cold and reserved their spots at the viewing points from where they could witness Hamilton in action. Looking at the Tifosi's passion for Ferrari and their love for the 40-year-old driver, Piero told Autosprint:
"I almost couldn't believe it! All that true passion struck me.
"The people on the little bridge overlooking the Fiorano track, invading the cycle path, was a demonstration of love. Beautiful!"
He added:
"I went to greet him when he set foot in Fiorano, welcoming him. He had seen the fans waiting for him from the car windows, and he was happy, surprised."
When he was asked about the Briton's appearance on his first day at Ferrari, Piero praised Hamilton for his elegance. He said:
"I don't remember other drivers so elegant on their first day at Ferrari. An impeccable suit, a tie, a sketch. We managers, for example, were without ties..."
Looking back at a time when Hamilton raced for Mercedes, Piero revealed how Hamilton had shared his wish to race for Ferrari, but the right time only arrived early last year, when the two parties signed an agreement before announcing it officially on 1st February 2024. Piero added:
"Over the years we talked and joked, here and there. Several times he expressed to me his desire to race with us, but he was tied to Mercedes and we were tied to our drivers.
"Then the moment came when both Lewis and we saw the opportunity to start negotiations. And the signature arrived."
Piero also spoke about how Hamilton's passion for Ferrari's road cars made him spend a long time at Maranello to understand the different ways he could customize his LaFerrari. He said:
"The first time he came to us was when he bought LaFerrari, it was 2014. He spent a lot of time in the factory studying how to customise it.
"Then, towards the evening, he said hello and I asked him if he wanted to stay for dinner with me. He was enthusiastic.
"We talked about cars but not only [that], and I discovered a truly pleasant person, out of the ordinary."