As the charismatic host, Jack Whitehall couldn’t resist poking fun at Mercedes’ sentiments upon seeing their former star driver, Lewis Hamilton, now in rival colors. Hamilton, who has carved a legendary status in the world of F1, is now joining forces with Ferrari, a team that’s synonymous with motorsport history and prestige. The alliance has already electrified fans, with the new racing season kicking off in less than a month.
“It’s like your partner of a decade running off with an Italian stallion,” Whitehall quipped, capturing the spirit of the surprise and delight permeating the F1 community.
Hamilton, alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s team boss, Frederic Vasseur, jetted back to Italy after the event. They have their sights set on the official unveiling of Ferrari’s latest car in Maranello this Wednesday. But attendees didn’t witness the actual race car that will hit the tracks this season—what they saw was merely a display model decked out in the current year’s livery.
While Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, with hopes of clinching an eighth title, is a major storyline, the night offered plenty of adoration for other drivers too. Fan favorites lit up the stage: Leclerc, Lando Norris from McLaren, his teammate Oscar Piastri, Aston Martin’s seasoned legend Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz now with Williams, and George Russell of Mercedes all received rousing cheers from the crowd.
Comedian Whitehall didn’t hold back from teasing Leclerc, aiming some good-natured jokes at the dashing driver from Monaco. In the midst of the banter, Norris unexpectedly dropped a playful expletive during a light-hearted exchange with Whitehall. The comment was likely to be overlooked by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, whose efforts to curb foul language in F1 have drawn criticism as overreaching.
Gordon Ramsay, the famous chef and a business partner with the sport, weighed in from the VIP area. “If it comes out, it comes out,” Ramsay shrugged, advocating for authenticity over censorship.
The wise move for Ben Sulayem would be to let the joyful spirit of the occasion prevail, avoiding any unnecessary dampening of what was clearly a hit event.
