CEO confirms Hamilton's Ferrari debut 'next week'

Jan.17 (GMM) Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will make his highly anticipated official debuts at Maranello and Fiorano “next week”.

Recent reports suggested the seven time world champion will be in the simulator at Ferrari’s Italian HQ on Monday, before making his track debut at the adjacent Fiorano test track in a 2022 red single seater in the days to follow.

“Lewis Hamilton will be with us next week,” Vigna said as a new sponsor deal with Italian bank Unicredit was introduced. “We are ready for almost everything, but not everything, but we will sort it out,” he smiled.

The Unicredit sponsorship replaces the deal with Spanish bank Santander, which has followed Carlos Sainz to Williams.

Vigna said: “It is a partnership that we wanted to announce shortly before Hamilton’s arrival, placing people at the centre of our companies and the communities that gravitate around us.”

As for Hamilton’s Ferrari debut, there have been reports that local police are expecting a huge influx of fans to the area. “Clearly there is great anticipation,” said Vigna.

“There is a lot of excitement and a great desire to get started. We are finalising the last details now.”

Vigna explained that he had been personally inspired by Hamilton’s motivation to change Formula 1 teams. “At 40, he got back into the game and embraced a culture that was different from the Anglo-Saxon one in many ways,” he said.