© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Sky Italia’s F1 expert Roberto Chinchero says “there was a big support to Lewis after Abu Dhabi 2021”, and adds “probably 80% of the Italians were supporting Lewis in that moment”.
It’s safe to say Lewis Hamilton has not been the most popular Formula 1 driver in Italy over the years.
This was probably due to the fact that he was one of the main rivals for Ferrari, and was beating them more often than not.
However, now that Lewis will be driving for the Italian team from 2025, Sky Italia’s F1 expert Roberto Chinchero was asked about the Briton’s reception in Italy.
“There was a lot of respect,” Chinchero explained.
“Of course, especially in Italy, it’s different when you are against Ferrari, of course you are kind of an enemy, but in the end there was a big respect, like what happened with Ayrton Senna.
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“He never drove for Ferrari but I think Italy is probably the second place in the world after Brazil, where until now, there are a lot of people that respect the Senna story.
“In the end, when you dress in red, to the Tifosi you become a hero. But I never heard bad comments about Lewis, just a big respect for his story. He comes from zero, he built his story by himself.”
Chinchero added that respect for Lewis has only grown after the controversial finish of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when race director Michael Masi made unjust decisions which denied Lewis a deserved eighth title win.
“When you’ve won more than 100 Grands Prix, you’ve won seven world championships… I remember, in Italy there was a big support to Lewis after Abu Dhabi 2021.
“I think probably 80 per cent of the Italians were supporting Lewis in that moment,” he concluded.
