The idea of Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari is both shocking but not surprising at all.
Hamilton is clearly an amazingly talented driver. We all know that. But he's not only fast, he's smart.
At his best, he can manage races and exploit the car's strengths while minimizing its weaknesses.
Like the best drivers, he always keeps a little space in his mind to analyze what his opponents are doing.
It is this combination of pure speed and tactical intelligence that separates the greats from the rest.
“Professor Alain Prost.” Photo: AP
There's a reason why Alain Prost, the man who memorably declared that the goal of Formula 1 was to win a race at the lowest possible speed, was nicknamed “The Professor.”
Or why Michael Schumacher once did the truly amazing feat of finishing second in a race, even though he was only able to use fifth gear.
He simply came up with an answer to a problem that most of us would find insoluble.
But even the most thoughtful racing driver can be vulnerable to a chronic disease among Formula 1's greatest drivers – Ferrari obsession.
Simply put, there is a nagging fear among these select clubs that once you retire, you will look back on your career, forget the wins, the championships, the glory and the champagne, and regret the feeling that you never drove for it. The most respected team in the sport.
Because winning a Ferrari is the ultimate goal.
Former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher at the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix. Pic: Reuters/Action Pictures/John Marsh
Ferrari attraction
I don't think there is another sports team like the Ferrari Formula 1 team.
All sports have great, world-famous teams, and their success ebbs and flows – Real Madrid, Manchester United or the New York Yankees. But for all the fans who love those teams, there's another group who can't stand them.
With Ferrari, the spectrum is different.
Everyone, at least, is interested in them. Many love them, many adore them. But very few, in 40 years of watching the sport, truly hate Ferrari. Even those who say they do, usually, don't.
It is a team that oscillates between success and huge failure, and that is of course what attracts great drivers.
What better feeling, and what more romantic ambition, than reviving Ferrari, which has not won the drivers' title since 2007?
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It is the same logic, the prospect of reliving a glorious past, that has brought a host of outstanding managers to Manchester United over the past decade.
This is what attracted Schumacher to Italy (he succeeded amazingly), and this is what Ayrton Senna intended to do, which is The dream that now deceives Hamilton.
You can understand that. Just look at the people who have won a title in a Ferrari – Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Niki Lauda and, of course, Schumacher.
Two British drivers have done it – Mike Hawthorn and John Surtees, both of whom achieved it more than 60 years ago.
British driver John Surtees in a Ferrari at the Syracuse Grand Prix in 1964. Image: AP
Hamilton has the opportunity to do something extraordinary.
Where Ferrari failed
Except, of course, that Ferrari has the capacity not only to delight, but to frustrate.
The team somehow managed to avoid winning the title with Sebastian Vettel, despite placing the four-time world champion in the fastest car on the track.
They did the same thing with Fernando Alonso.
Recently they've spent their fortunes developing a car that shows flashes of genius, and then either breaks down, slows down, or gets bogged down by the team's blunders.
In a way, Ferrari is back to snatching failure from the jaws of success. This can't be just bad luck.
Hamilton will know what he's walking into.
But one time, he shocked everyone by leaving McLaren when they were excelling and joining the fledgling Mercedes team. That worked really well.
Maybe, just maybe, it could be the key to unlocking Ferrari's dreams.
