Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 debut triggers ‘state of emergency’

Lewis Hamilton’s debut F1 outing for Ferrari has resulted in “a state of emergency” being declared in Maranello.

That is according to a report by F1-Insider, who claim that Hamilton’s appearances this week have triggered the Maranello Mayor, Luigi Zironi, to call for assistance from neighbouring towns.

Hamilton’s high-profile debut for Ferrari has led to hotels in the Sassuolo area becoming “fully booked” as the tifosi try to catch a glimpse of their new hero.

Meanwhile, Motorsport reports that Zironi has requested “stricter security measures” from the police, particularly regarding traffic near Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters and their Fiorano test track.

Fans waited outside of Ferrari’s famous F1 base on Monday to greet Hamilton as he made his first visit as an official driver, having completed his blockbuster transfer from Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion drove a Ferrari F1 car for the first time on Wednesday morning at Fiorano as he steps up preparations for his debut season with the iconic Italian team.

More than 1,000 Ferrari fans reportedly flocked to the track to watch Hamilton complete his first laps in a 2023 car.

"I'm jam-packed in here, there's more than 1,000 Ferrari fans. In fact, I'm so packed in, I can't quite see the entire number that have gathered around here to catch this first glimpse of Lewis in the red car,” Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slater said.

"It's the 2023 Ferrari he's driving. The current car will be an evolution of this one, so it will be useful for Hamilton to get a feel of what Ferrari power is like. Remember, he's driven a Mercedes-powered car for his entire F1 career.

"He'll be able to feed back on how his seat feels - he would have had that seat fitting just a few days earlier, how the steering wheel functions, just the general feel of the brakes in what are certainly very unrepresentative conditions here.

"It's cold, it's under 10 degrees Celsius, there's fog as well. He isn't using racing Formula 1 tyres but academy tyres that are inferior in performance. But he'll get a few impressions, which will enable him to interface with his engineers and the rest of the team.

"It's an emotional day for Lewis, and he has got his family here. His father Anthony, his mum Carmen, his stepmother Linda as well - they're all sharing what is a very special moment for him out on this track here.”

The 40-year-old Briton, who already holds the record for the most race wins (105),  pole positions (104) and joint-best seven world titles, is seeking to claim a record-breaking eighth world championship with Ferrari.

Such a feat would end Ferrari’s long drought, stretching all the way back to 2008, for an F1 world title, and see Hamilton surpass the great Michael Schumacher, who claimed five of his seven titles with the Scuderia between 2000 and 2004.