Hamilton in red: Holy Week in Maranello

This is not a circuit, it's a cathedral! On this blessed day of Wednesday, January 22, all that the Formula 1 count of souls has its eyes fixed on Fiorano. They are only a handful to have been invited to the advent: dignitaries of the institution and members of the family. They stand at the back of the garage turned ambulatory, and observe the choir where the mechanics carry out their office. The gestures repeated many times are of extreme precision.

The first phase of the ritual took place out of sight when Lewis Hamilton was given his royal robes. Now he is there, dressed all in red, ready to receive his four-wheeled scepter. He slips in solemnly. No concert of bells to accompany his outing into the open (a celebration reserved for Sunday victories), but rather the song of the 6-cylinder turbo hybrid. Massed around the perimeter of the circuit, the faithful, who came in large numbers despite the rain, hold their breath, before loudly demonstrating their joy when he appears on the track. It is the most sacred moment of all, that of the first moments of the new King called to reign over this land of passion that knows no borders. It is 9:16 am this Wednesday, and the world of F1 has just shifted into a new spirituality. King Lewis at the controls of a Ferrari, everyone has been waiting for this moment for a year that has become a century for the most fervent.

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