Once upon a time, there was the Wroom, the event on the slopes of Madonna di Campiglio where Ferrari and Ducati would met up but, above all, where they got the chance to talk to the press and devote themselves to their fans, who flocked there in droves for photos and autographs. A lot has changed since then, yet the Borgo Panigale-based company chose to keep the Pearl of the Dolomites as the setting for the official presentation of the MotoGP team and motorcycles in 2025 was no exception.
As a twist of fate, almost like the two prestigious brands were brought together again as in the past, while the GP25 was being unveiled in Trentino, welcoming Marc Marquez, who'll be joining Pecco Bagnaia this season, Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello for the first time as the Cavallino's representative, taking the seat and starting to work on the simulator.
Documenting his presence in Modena, where he was greeted by weather that couldn't have been more British, was a photo showing him in the courtyard of the offices that had once belonged to Enzo Ferrari in Fiorano: serious and very elegant, in a pinstriped double-breasted suit and with a dark coat slung over his shoulders next to a Ferrari road car.
"There are some days that you know you'll remember forever and, today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days. I've been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career that I never thought possible, but a part of me has always held on to the dream of racing in red. I couldn't be happier to realize that dream today. Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can't wait to see what story we'll write together," he said in both English and Italian (which he's already learning along with our culture) in an Instagram post.
The Rossa responded with a simple welcome posted on their social media profiles, again accompanied by the image that will forever enshrine the moment with Carlos Sainz, but it's clear that anticipation and excitement are sky high.
Unlike what was being asked of the Spanish driver - namely, to be consistent and bring points for the constructors standings - the ace from Stevenage is being asked to do what he's often already done: win. It's too early to say whether it's to the detriment of Charles Leclerc (a Ferrari driver by birth, since he's the part of the team's junior branch) but, certainly, President John Elkann hasn't put about 50 million Euros a year on the plate to simply accompany the champion to retirement. They want and expect him to showcase his champion skills, the ones that led him to triumph in 2008 with McLaren in his second season in F1, and from 2014 to 2020 with Mercedes.
Should he succeed in breaking the spell that has kept the Cavallino away from the drivers title since 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton would pull off a double, surpassing world championship Michael Schumacher, who has made the history of the Italian manufacturer - also at a standstill at seven - and, above all, he'd become the most successful ever in the circus.
Succeeding won'r be easy because, besides the technical aspects, politics commands in Ferrari and frequently reaps victims, not to mention the enormous pressure normally exerted on the team also by the media or, again, a different approach to racing than what he's been used to in English teams.Helping him, however, could be significant detail: the presence of three figures known to him, such as Frederic Vasseur, with whom he worked before landing in the top series; Jerome d'Ambrosio, who was in Stuttgart until a few months ago; and another from the Brackley-based team, such as technical director Loic Serra.
The first on-track appointment will be next January 22nd at Ferrari's private track in Fiorano: a taste of the official tests scheduled in Bahrain at the end of February, even if, to really understand the goodness of the company's investment, we'll have to wait for Australia, site of the first GP, in mid-March. What's certain is that their top management - in defiance of those who think Lewis Hamilton's age will be a burden - wanted to bet on a star driver to join an equally unquestionable talent like Leclerc. Whether this will then prove to be a problem as far as a peaceful coexistence is concerned, they'll discover it, race by race, and when the forces on the field are defined.
Exactly as what will happen in Ducati, where Gigi dall'Igna had the courage to take a chance and promote to the Lenovo team the eight-time world champion, Marc Marquez, 32 years old this year: a client who's certainly uncomfortable for the most temperamentally docile, but equally hungry and winning, Pecco Bagnaia, who, in all likelihood, would have preferred to have Jorge Martin - more manageable despite being the defending champion, and less strong in terms of media and marketing - next to him.
Marc, like Lewis, aspires to become, if not the most successful ever (Giacomo Agostini, from the height of his 15 titles, is unreachable), at least the most successful in the premier class. And if the nine titles of his arch-rival, Valentino Rossi, is quickly within his reach, a possible double win during his contract with Ducati would bring him right alongside King Mino, with eight titles in motorcycling premier class.