The shockwaves from Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari are still rippling through the Formula 1 world, but Mercedes’ longtime engineering partner, IWC Schaffhausen, just stole the spotlight with a brilliantly cheeky parody of Hamilton’s record-breaking Ferrari debut post.
As the Swiss luxury watch brand remains with Mercedes for the 2025 season, they decided to poke fun at Hamilton’s viral first-day photo in Maranello, recreating the moment with their own representative.
IWC’s Hilarious Copycat Post Goes Viral
When Hamilton arrived at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters on January 20, he shared breathtaking images that sent social media into meltdown—even surpassing the most-liked F1-related post ever.
That was enough for IWC Schaffhausen to seize the moment with a playful jab.
In a now-viral Instagram post, IWC replicated Hamilton’s Ferrari debut photo with their own representative standing in front of the IWC headquarters. The punchline? Instead of Hamilton’s matte-black Ferrari F40, the backdrop featured a matte-black Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé AMG 53.
Their caption sealed the deal:
“First day of Kurt Klaus’ 68th season with IWC. But who’s counting?”
Formula 1’s Countdown Also Acknowledges Hamilton’s Ferrari Era
Meanwhile, F1’s official social media added to the buzz with a sly nod to Hamilton’s move.
As part of its countdown to the season opener in Australia, F1 posted a graphic showing “44 days to go.” But here’s the twist—the digits initially appeared in Mercedes’ signature blue before turning Ferrari red.
“Ticking down to lights out in Melbourne 👀”
This subtle but powerful tribute acknowledged Hamilton’s transition from Mercedes’ legendary No. 44 to his new Ferrari chapter.
Is 2025 the Most Anticipated F1 Season of the Modern Era?
With Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren all expected to contend for the championship, Hamilton’s Ferrari debut is shaping up as one of the most anticipated storylines in F1 history.
- Can Hamilton deliver Ferrari its first title since 2007?
- Will Mercedes regret letting him go?
- Can Ferrari’s SF-25 finally match Red Bull’s dominance?
With just weeks until pre-season testing in Bahrain (February 26-28), the mind games have already begun.
One thing is certain: F1 in 2025 will be nothing short of spectacular.
