Ferrari complete demonstration run in the heart of Milan
Ferrari returned to Milan’s Piazza Castello for the first time in six years this week, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton having performed a street demo at the wheel of Formula 1 cars.
Over twenty thousand people from all across Europe flocked to the Piazza Castello and surrounding streets on Thursday, turning Milan red as the fans turned out for Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Team Principal Fred Vasseur at the “Drivers’ Presentation by UniCredit” event.
It was organised in conjunction with the pan-European bank, Unicredit which became Ferrari's premium partner after the departure of the Spanish bank Santander. The street demo marked Ferrari's return Milan for the first time in six years.
The most hardcore fans were already in Milan at the crack of dawn, to claim a front row seat near the stage in the Piazza Castello, and from mid-afternoon onwards a DJ set kept the crowd entertained, before the first of the special guests arrived on stage, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna and UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel, where they were met by Sky Sport presenters Carlo Vanzini and Vicky Piria.
Speaking of the importance of the partnership between the two companies, Vigna stated: “The collaboration between UniCredit and Scuderia Ferrari HP is also about special events like this, And Milan is absolutely the right place for this, as our partner’s headquarters are here and in Milan you can feel the same atmosphere we enjoy every year in Monza,
“Let’s hope this red painted square is a good omen for a great season,” added Orcel.
Following the speech of Vigna and Orcel, Charles and Lewis got into the cockpits of the 2019 SF90 and the 2021 SF21 respectively, to put on a spectacular show. Leclerc was first out, impressing the crowd that included many members of the Scuderia Ferrari Clubs, with some thrilling doughnuts, as well as the mechanics showing their skill with some very rapid pit stops.
The seven-time F1 world champion was up next, doing the same as his team-mate, as well as ending with a few burn-outs and some planned spins much to the delight of the fans alongside the barriers.
While the two drivers did some further parade laps in a Ferrari SF90 Spider driven by Ferrari’s Head of Development Drivers, Raffaele De Simone, Fred Vasseur got up on stage to salute the fans in Italian. “Thank you for your unwavering support and for being here today,” before continuing in English, “this square is really something special and events like today’s remind us how strong is the passion for our team. We are all set for an exciting season and I can assure you we will give it our best shot.”
Following Vasseur's appearance on the stage, Leclerc and Hamilton replaced the team boss on the stage. Leclerc said: "Milan has delivered an incredible atmosphere again today. Feeling all this love gives us a real boost for the coming championship.
“Over the winter we have worked harder than ever to be in the best possible shape and we hope we can get some great results, maybe already in Australia.”
Ahead of his debut season with the Scuderia, Hamilton said: “Wearing red and experiencing an event like this is something special, as is being here with you in front of some historic cars including ones that Michael Schumacher raced.
"Today is another first to go with others I’m experiencing in what is already an unforgettable season for me. I can’t wait to get on track with this extraordinary team. I think we have everything we need to fight for the World Championship and I also believe that you fans can be our extra gear. I hope we will have a lot of fun together.”
