rLewis Hamilton opens Sunday's season with a much-anticipated debut for Ferrari in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix, and whether his glorious adventure to win an astonishing career will be successful, and for his former driver, his compatriots have made the right decision.
“I've had a Ferrari experience, I can't buy money,” Nigel Munsell said with a smile. “Money can't buy those feelings, feelings, or praise. It's made me all around better people and drivers. They value the drivers. It's incredibly special.”
Munsell was named Il Leone – Lion – Tifosihe took the man to his heart from the West Midlands, as if he were born in the sound of the Maranello bells. During two seasons in 1989 and 1990, Munsell fights unreliable cars with fearlessness, courage and pure bloody resolve that he remains praised all over Italy to this day, and believes Hamilton will get a similar response to whether he will return with his eighth world title.
Munsell, now 71, was the last driver to sign by Enzo Ferrari before his death in August 1988.
“I had the strength to just move my fingers at lunchtime,” he says. “You're in the dining room, but all 30-40 people were sitting on the other side, he moved his hands and from 120 dB the whole restaurant was silent. To give the power of those thinking, 'He's going to say something', and all he was doing was picking up some salt, which was amazing. ”
With the turbo era of Formula One approaching the end of 1989, Ferrari was adapted to both the death of its founder and the first car designed by former McLaren engineer John Bernard. The Ferrari 640 was groundbreaking, with an innovative semi-automatic gearbox and a paddle shifting system that would later be adopted throughout the sport. But, fast, but it was very unreliable.
With the Ferrari debut in Rio de Janeiro, the car broke down in three of four practice and qualifying sessions, with Munsell hoping to return home earlier. Contrary to the odds, he took the flag and the heart of Italy.
Back at Maranello, he quickly discovers what it really means to be wearing the team's scar color. After going out to buy a teddy bear for his newly born son Leo, Munsell was pulled for speeding in his new Testarossa.
The 40-year-old struggled with pace during three practice sessions, scorching his fever on Saturday, leading to first place behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Despite Ferrari lacking the pace of qualifying, Sunday rain could help them make up for the ground to McLaurence in front.
\”Tomorrow will be a challenge, I've never driven this car in the rain,” Hamilton said. \”I don't even know the rainy environment, so I have to study it tonight. It will become a learning experience again.\”
Hamilton was nearly a second behind Randnoris' fastest laps, but he hid it well if the seven-time world champion was disappointed with his car's performance.
\ “We had a really good time today. Everything was first this weekend,” Hamilton said. \ “To get close to it in the first qualifying session, I will definitely take it. We bow our heads and start work and try to find out why we're not paced with the front runners. Reuters
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Lewis Hamilton will burn midnight oil to learn about the Ferrari rainy environment in Australia's Grand Prix rain forecast on Sunday.
The 40-year-old struggled with pace during three practice sessions, scorching his fever on Saturday, leading to first place behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Despite Ferrari lacking the pace of qualifying, Sunday rain could help them make up for the ground to McLaurence in front.
“Tomorrow will be a challenge, I've never driven this car in the rain,” Hamilton said. “I don't even know the rainy environment, so I have to study it tonight. It's once again a learning experience.”
Hamilton was nearly a second behind Randnoris' fastest laps, but he hid it well if the seven-time world champion was disappointed with his car's performance.
“We had a really good time today. This weekend was our first time,” Hamilton said. “I will definitely take it to get it closer in my first qualifying session. We bow our heads and start working and try to find out why we're not paced with the front runners.” Reuters
“I was on the side of the road, with two army officers, a machine gun and two carabinieris, and they were marching towards the car. I thought, 'I did this time, I'm going to get arrested.' I put the window down and as soon as they saw I salute into the car and let go. The power of Ferrari and the driver of Ferrari…”
Munsell continued to seal off his reputation as the lionheart of Italian fans with his respected performance. His victory over Elton Senna in Hungary from 12th on the grid in 1989 included a breathtaking dive to the lead as the pair passed Stephen Johansson's slow moving Onyx. In Imola in 1990 he was pushed out of orbit while trying to pass McLaren's Gerhard Berger, doing 360 degrees at 200 mph, but he drove very spin catching and driving. On the next lap, he defeated his achievements before the car gave up on the ghost. Of course, the fans loved it.
In the same year in Mexico, dying rap Berger squeezed Munsell and was second-dead, but the British driver attacked and defeated the outside of the horny banked Peraltada, with Alain Prost insisting victory by former Alain Prost.
“On the slowdown lap, everyone was making ferocity around the circuit. “I thought I won the race. Alan thought it was broken, so I won the bloody race. I drove into the hole, everyone went ferocity. Alan was winning the race, but on the final lap with Gerhard, they were ecstatic for it. I didn't get it until I got out of the car.”
At Munsell's special time, could Hamilton follow in his footsteps? “Has he finished his career or will he get the chance to finish his career with his eighth World Championship with Ferrari? He'll explode. They'll accept him like there's no tomorrow.”
Munsell has not mentioned Hamilton and his admiration for his achievements. “He's very intelligent and very smart. I love guys. I've been a huge fan of Lewis for his entire career,” he says. “He has a motivation and a mindset. Lewis' 2025 is incredibly inspirational to get him to rejuvenate him 5 years ago and go to Ferrari. The door unlocks, Lewis can demand almost anything and is acceptable. Ferrari gives him everything he needs to get the job done. And I think he'll get the job done until I'm proven wrong.”
After his retirement, Munsell has dedicated much of his job as president over the past 25 years of charity UK youth dedicated to building a brighter future for young people. He is I'm making their appeal It will raise more than £3 million to build an indoor learning and sports centre at the Avontirell site in Hampshire. Naturally, he praises Hamilton's work with him. Mission 44 A project that will change the lives of young people.
With such a shared goal, he believes that Hamilton will form a similar bond to that of the Ferrari forged. When Munsell arrived in the garage of the Las Vegas Grand Prix team two years ago, he was greeted with great enthusiasm. “Ferrari is Formula One's most romantic team, and there's no doubt about that,” he says with affection. “When you drive for them, win for them, and do something special, you become part of the Ferrari family.”
As Munsell also discovered, the family was generous to negligence. “Lewis might like this,” he says with a smile. “I was walking through the factory once and admired the bikes. All I said was, 'What a beautiful bike.' Two weeks later, one arrived at my house on the Isle of Man. ”
The same thing happened when Mansell tried out the latest Testarossa. We noted that Ferrari Road Car is a great drive. Two weeks later, one person officially appeared at his home, urging him to try and improve.
“I flew one of their Falcon 900 planes to test, got off the plane and told the captain. It's worth $34 million so I'm still waiting, but I know it's worth a try,” he says with a laugh.
Munsell may have only won three races at Scowderia, and while it was far from winning the title with them, I still feel that “it felt like I did it.” He is sure that's what Hamilton feels, the other lion is ready to roar again for the Ferrari. “You're part of the family, part of the heritage, part of the history they accept and love. Another way.”
