Esteban Ocon says he felt "lucky" to be at Maranello on the same day as Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated first official appearance as a Ferrari driver.
Hamilton's historic first day at Ferrari, his first official photos in red, his Fiorano debut, and even his Barcelona crash this week have dominated Formula 1 headlines.
His former Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, acknowledged the significance of the moment, calling the photo of Hamilton standing outside Enzo Ferrari's house alongside an F40 supercar "iconic."
Piero Ferrari, Enzo's only living son, was equally struck by the atmosphere surrounding Hamilton's arrival.
"I almost couldn't believe the enthusiasm," Ferrari, 79, told Italy's Autosprint when reflecting on Hamilton's first day.
"All that true passion of the Tifosi struck me."
He also noted Hamilton's demeanor upon joining the legendary team.
"I don't remember other drivers so elegant on their first day at Ferrari," he admitted. "Even us managers were without ties," he added with a laugh.
Even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged that Hamilton looks right at home in red.
"Those red overalls suit him," Horner told Sky Italia. "I think it's fantastic for our sport.
"Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren will all be competitive. It will be a close and spectacular fight."
While Hamilton was making headlines across the world, Haas driver Ocon happened to be at Maranello for an entirely different reason—working in the Ferrari simulator as part of Haas' technical collaboration with the Scuderia.
"I was lucky to be at the same place on the same day because I was in the Ferrari simulator," the 28-year-old Frenchman told Canal Plus.
"It's wonderful to see that there is so much passion for Ferrari, and for F1 of course, in the world and that this passion continues to grow."
Ocon, who has switched from Alpine to Ferrari-powered Haas for 2025, is also known for having a good relationship with Hamilton.
"It's clear," he said, "that having the greatest driver of our generation in the most successful team is something incredible."
