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Ferrari Reveals Hamilton’s Surprise Visit During His Mercedes Days
Piero Ferrari, the son of legendary Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, has disclosed that Lewis Hamilton first visited the Maranello-based manufacturer over a decade ago while still racing for Mercedes.
Hamilton, who will drive for Ferrari from 2025 on a multi-year contract, has long dreamed of wearing the iconic red race suit. His move marks one of the most significant transfers in Formula 1 history, placing him among legends such as Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and Sebastian Vettel.
On January 20, Hamilton made his first official visit to Ferrari’s headquarters as a Scuderia driver. He also visited Enzo Ferrari’s house and posed for photos with the Ferrari F40, a car he has always admired. However, while this was his first visit as an official Ferrari driver, it was not his first time at the factory.
Back in 2014, Hamilton visited Ferrari while racing for Mercedes—but not for anything related to F1. He was there to purchase a Ferrari LaFerrari, taking time to study customization options before eventually securing his order. During that visit, he also had dinner with Piero Ferrari.
“It’s true,” Piero confirmed to Autosprint. “The first time he came to us was in 2014 when he bought a LaFerrari. He spent a lot of time in the factory, carefully looking into how he wanted to customize it.”
Piero recalled that after Hamilton had finalized the details of his purchase, he was invited to dinner. “Towards the evening, I asked if he wanted to stay for dinner with me. He was enthusiastic and accepted. We talked about cars but also many other things, and I discovered a truly pleasant person, someone out of the ordinary.”
The dinner took place at the famous Cavallino restaurant, a historic spot associated with Ferrari. Piero noted that Hamilton brought his dog along and later returned to Maranello multiple times, primarily engaging with the company’s commercial department.
Interestingly, despite his admiration for Ferrari, Hamilton did not inquire about the racing side of the business during his visit. When asked if Hamilton had shown interest in seeing the Scuderia’s F1 department, Piero laughed and simply replied, “No.”
This revelation adds an intriguing layer to Hamilton’s long-standing relationship with Ferrari, which has now culminated in him joining the team for the 2025 season.
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