A little less than a month has passed since that magical January 22nd, yet on the Fiorano bridge not even a second seemed to have passed.
The crowd was still there, on the nets and crowded on the bridge overlooking the circuit. A sea of hats and red jackets that seemed to have never moved.
The passion breathed on that biting January morning continued to warm hearts even on February 19th, at the dawn of another cold day, waiting for the restart of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. And that moment is getting closer and closer.
On Wednesday, February 19, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finally made their way to the track to complete the filming day and shakedown of the brand new SF-25, presented at the F175 Live event in London just the day before.
If January 22 had been a first taste still tied to the past, with Hamilton's debut in Ferrari and Leclerc's return, both with an old car; this time it was something different: for the first time, the project for 2025 debuted on the track; turning things from theory into practice.
At Fiorano, it felt like no one had ever left the track, as if everyone's heart stayed there, waiting for this day. The same cold, hands in pockets, breath condensing in the air and eyes focused on the pits.
This time, however, the wait had a different flavor: it wasn't just a taste of the future, it was the actual beginning of something real and potentially historical.
When the garage opened and the SF-25 slided silently onto the track, time seemed to stop. A burst of gas broke the air and the roar of the engine woke up Fiorano: that was the first roar of the new Scuderia creature.
It was inaugureted by "the prodigal son" Charles Leclerc - born and raised with a second red skin - who, passing in front of the bridge, raised a hand and greeted the Tifosi. The reaction? A deafening roar. If that January 22 the emotion was strong, on February 19 curiosity and adrenaline were sky-high: 2025 was finally a reality.
The 100 km available to the Monegasque driver quickly ran out and, in the early afternoon, the car passed into the hands of Lewis Hamilton. The program of the seven-time world champion was exactly the same as his teammate: 100 km, between controlled laps and official filming, which have the main purpose of showing the Scuderia's sponsors.
Each lap was an opportunity to observe the new car in action, to try to capture every little detail that could reveal its potential. There was great awareness in the environment: there was confidence, there was the desire to believe that this car could (finally) prove to be up to expectations. Or rather, at least up to the level of its opponents.
At the end of the day, when the kilometers available were finished, the garage closed for the last time. And yet, the crowd stayed there; exactly as it did a month ago. No one wanted to leave, because the World Championship was feeling ever closer. And just like on that January 22nd, the fire of passion is always there, defeating the trembling cold of the air and capturing every single roar of the engines.
About a month later, on the same Fiorano bridge where it all began for Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red, there was a strong feeling: the 2025 Championship is about to begin, and Ferrari fans are anxiously awaiting it; with the kind of expectation that not only comes from hope, but also from ambition. Charles Leclerc said it clearly: "I would be disappointed if we didn't win at least one of the two titles this year." Words that weigh, that outline the new horizon of the Scuderia. Because now, more than ever, there is no room for being satisfied. With pre-season testing under our belt, with less than to weeks to spare until F1 is back in Melbourne for the Australian GP: now is the time to get serious.
