Italian journalist Roberto Chincero says a “Hamilton mania” has already begun in the country ahead of the 40-year-old Briton’s arrival, which he believes will require a heavy police presence to manage large crowds that are expected to gather on the streets near Ferrari’s headquarters.

Toto Wolff does not believe that Lewis Hamilton is past his prime but rather that he is struggling with the latest generation of F1 cars. In a warning to his new employer, Ferrari, the Mercedes chief assessed that the seven-time world champion’s late-braking and aggressive corner entries are mismatched with the desires of the current machines.

Lewis Hamilton is set to drive the F1-75 car of 2022 in his first Ferrari test at Fiorano ahead of the F1 2025 season.