Motorsport enthusiasts will remember today, January 20, 2025, as a special day: the day when Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello and Marc Marquez first wore the colors of Ducati.
There’s a Chinese legend, later spread to Japan, that comes to mind on this historic day: the legend of the “red thread,” which suggests that every person, from birth, is connected to their destiny by a red thread. This popular belief seems to have found a fitting expression in the world of motorsport, now more than ever.
A red thread linking Maranello, the headquarters of the legendary Formula 1 team, where today Lewis Hamilton was welcomed as an official Scuderia Ferrari driver, to Madonna del Campidoglio, where Marc Marquez debuted wearing the colors of the Italian team from Borgo Panigale.
A debut for two icons connected by a particular color—red, the faithful companion of the most legendary stories in motorsport and the heart of Italian motor excellence, the Motor Valley in Emilia-Romagna.
During the presentation of the livery with which Ducati Lenovo will compete in the upcoming MotoGP season, Pecco Bagnaia, the Italian MotoGP rider, was asked by the media whether he felt like Leclerc, drawing a parallel between the arrival of eight-time world champion Marquez and the seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Here’s how Bagnaia responded:
“Let’s say that the human aspect still matters a bit more for us. Although Ferrari has been competitive in certain situations, unfortunately, they are still not on the level of other teams. They’re working hard, and Charles and Lewis will surely do a great job “
“On our side, we’ve definitely found the right formula first. I think Ducati has been capable of winning titles since 2016, or at least since 2017. I’ve been competitive since 2021, and Ducati has won the last three titles; so, we’ve already found the right formula. It’s hard to compare F1 and MotoGP, but what’s certain is that if you race with the Rossa, whether on a bike or in a car, you know you’re racing with excellence. And that’s a beautiful thing, ” the Italian rider continued.
Marquez: “Hamilton and I? We share the Red”
Marc Marquez also weighed in on Lewis Hamilton’s debut with Scuderia Ferrari, offering a comment that could be seen as a subtle dig at the British driver: “The red color is what connects me and Lewis. Hamilton is Hamilton, and he will certainly bring even more attention to Ferrari. In Formula 1, he’s a driver who, alongside Fernando Alonso, and now Max Verstappen and other young talents, attracts the most media attention He has experience, but it seems that the name itself carries more weight, and that won’t necessarily help him win more.”
Photo: Ducati Corse.
