Lewis Hamilton Reveals His Group Chat Is Divided Over Ferrari’s First Electric CarEven outside the paddock, the Ferrari Luce is causing arguments in group chats. Lewis Hamilton was asked in an interview about how his friends – people with no professional stake in the car – have responded to Ferrari's controversial first electric production model. His answer was telling."I honestly haven't… that's not true. I have… we spoke in a group chat. I think it's mixed. Like you see on social media. Some of my friends like it. Some of my friends are… more sustainable thinking and like driving electric road cars on the road, as where some of them are more old school. So it's a combination. It's a mixture. It's kinda like 50/50 on there, I would say."The car has had a mixed reception in after it was revealed in Rome in late May.AdvertisementAdvertisementMuch of the online discussion zeroed in on the Luce's design, which drew criticism from Ferrari fans and enthusiasts who felt the styling was unworthy of the badge, with some analysts also questioning whether its saloon-like form sat comfortably alongside the brand's traditional identity.Ferrari's stock fell 8% on the Milan exchange the day after the car went public.Lewis Hamilton was asked about his friend reaction on FERRARI LUCE pic.twitter.com/RMDJJx91xe— LH44(A) (@LH44Fanpage8) June 12, 2026The Car Itself Is Hard to Argue With on PaperThe Luce runs four permanent-magnet motors, one per wheel, producing a combined 1,035 hp, with Ferrari claiming a 0–100 km/h time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed north of 310 km/h.It sits on a dedicated EV platform, and the exterior and interior were shaped in collaboration with LoveFrom, the creative studio founded by Jony Ive and Marc Newson.AdvertisementAdvertisementDeliveries are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, with a price tag of €550,000 – roughly $640,000. Hamilton's own verdict after driving it was straightforwardly positive."In terms of the attention to detail, you can tell that it's very Ferrari," he said.When he took the wheel during the pre-reveal test, Leclerc – riding shotgun – was less composed.Leclerc shouted at Hamilton to stop as the seven-time champion pushed the car hard, later admitting, "I thought you were pushing like crazy."The people most invested in Ferrari's past have been the least forgiving.Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo went as far as saying, "We risk destroying a legend, and I'm truly sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the prancing horse from that car."AdvertisementAdvertisementAlpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore offered his own dry take, suggesting the Luce has "one big advantage: the Chinese won't copy this one."Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has defended the car's value, and claims the Luce has nothing to do with Chinese EVs or those from rival brands.Alf Rehn, a professor of innovation and design at the University of Southern Denmark, argues that the volume of criticism is itself a signal that Ferrari is doing something meaningful, and adds that the Luce has been received far more warmly by younger audiences and parts of the Asian automotive press.Hamilton's 50/50 group chat is, in that sense, a pretty accurate sample of the wider world. The people who already drive electric cars see a Ferrari they can finally buy with a clear conscience. The old-school contingent sees something that looks like it was designed in Cupertino rather than Maranello. Both are right about what it is. Whether that's a problem depends entirely on which half of the chat you're in.
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