Ferrari kicked off January with a masterclass in classy hype. No loud promos or cheesy voiceovers—just sleek, cinematic vibes that scream supercar swagger. On Jan. 20, when Lewis Hamilton first strolled into Ferrari’s Maranello HQ, they dropped a video captioned “Thanks for waiting.” It’s just him walking past a welcome sign, natural sounds humming—no words needed. That X post? 13,000 reposts, 80,000 likes.

NASCAR fans know a superstar can shake things up, but Ferrari’s Formula 1 team is taking that to a whole new gear with Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time F1 champ—matching legends like our own Jimmie Johnson—swapped Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, and the Italian squad has been revving up the hype since the clock struck midnight on New Year’s.

Ferrari is riding the Lewis Hamilton social media frenzy wave

Then there’s the Jan. 15 gem: elevator music plays as a hand sets down a dog bowl labeled “Roscoe”—Hamilton’s famous pup — captioned, “The Scuderia Ferrari family is growing.” Pure genius. It snagged 4,000 reposts and 29,000 likes on X, and we couldn’t help but chuckle—welcoming a dog like he’s a teammate? That’s Ferrari flexing its charm. Pedro Cebrian, the team’s social media guru, bragged on LinkedIn: “We broke our social media records… but best of all we did it as a team and had lots of fun.” Fans, we’re eating it up—Ferrari’s playing our heartstrings like a finely tuned engine.

As Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern reports, it’s not just a driver change—it’s a turbo boost for Ferrari’s brand, smashing social media records and giving fans like me a front-row seat to the spectacle. The numbers don’t lie. Endeavor Analytics crunched the data for SBJ, and from Jan. 20, Ferrari’s socials exploded—379% more impressions, and 279% more engagements per post compared to 2024 averages, per Blinkfire’s scrape of Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Infegy data adds fuel: 1.2 million mentions in 10 days, up 7% from a full month’s average last year—more than seven months’ worth in 2024. That’s Hamilton’s star power colliding with Ferrari’s prestige.

For us racing nuts—whether we bleed NASCAR or F1—this is what a legend’s move looks like. Hamilton’s not just a driver; he’s a spark, lighting up Ferrari’s 2025 campaign with hope and horsepower. We’ve seen Dale Jr. shift the needle here, but Hamilton’s arrival feels global—Maranello’s betting big, and the social surge proves it’s paying off. Those videos? They’re not ads—they’re love letters to fans, sleek as a Ferrari 488, teasing the chaos Hamilton might unleash on track. So, gearheads, what’s your take—will he dominate in red, or is this just the warmup lap? Either way, we’re strapped in for the ride.

Hamilton sets sights on Ferrari’s next championship

Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 move to Ferrari has shifted the Formula 1 landscape, and the seven-time world champion is approaching it with a clear focus. When asked if he’s aiming for an eighth title to break records, Hamilton reframes the goal: “To me, it would be the first. Winning the championship for Ferrari is the first. That’s what I’m working towards.” For him, it’s not about chasing a number to break the all-time F1 championship record held by Schumacher—it’s about delivering a title for Ferrari, a team steeped in history but absent a driver’s championship since 2007.

Hamilton’s perspective centers on the collective. “I don’t think about the number eight,” he explains. “I’m thinking about the first championship that the team’s won for some time, although they’ve already had many, many World Championships over the history.” His aim is practical—how to contribute to Ferrari’s success. “Right now it’s about how can I help them achieve that?” he says, signaling a team-first mindset as he settles into Maranello. With Ferrari’s legacy of titles—15 driver’s championships overall—Hamilton sees this as a chance to add a new chapter, not just pad his résumé.

The move has sparked something in him. “If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we are setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping,” he notes. At 40, Hamilton remains driven, viewing a potential Ferrari championship as a beginning, not an endpoint. It’s a measured ambition—acknowledging the challenge while leaving room for what’s next. For F1 followers, it raises questions: Can he steer Ferrari back to the top? Will his experience tip the scales? Hamilton’s not promising miracles, just effort—and that’s got fans watching closely.