Lewis Hamilton has thrown his support behind American tennis star Coco Gauff to triumph at Wimbledon, placing him in stark contrast to his Ferrari colleagues who are overwhelmingly backing Italian player Jasmine Paolini.
The seven-time Formula One world champion revealed his prediction during an interview with Ferrari's media team, stating: "I'll be watching the women, and I hope Coco Gauff [will win]."
His choice puts him at odds with the majority of the Ferrari garage, where supporting Italian athletes is typically the norm.
Gauff enters the tournament as one of the favourites following her French Open victory earlier this month.
Coco Gauff won her second Grand Slam, after her 2023 US Open victory, at the French Open earlier this month
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The extent of Hamilton's isolation became clear when Ferrari staff were polled about their Wimbledon predictions.
Thirteen members of the team selected Paolini as their choice to win the women's singles title.
Only one other Ferrari employee joined Hamilton in predicting a Gauff victory.
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The majority of Ferrari's team are backing world no 5 Jasmine Paolini
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Four staff members opted for world no 1 Aryna Sabalenka, whilst Elena Rybakina was also mentioned among the top contenders for the title.
The British driver appears to have overlooked the unwritten rule at Ferrari of supporting Italian competitors, a tradition deeply embedded within the Maranello-based team's culture.
Hamilton's tennis predictions come as he celebrates Ferrari's recent resurgence on track.
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The 40-year-old matched his best result of the season with fourth place at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Ferrari emerged as the second-fastest team behind McLaren.
Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: "Mega progress for us as a team, so we have to say a huge thank you again to the guys at the factory for bringing the upgrade this weekend."
The British driver noted that whilst the upgrade appeared modest on paper, it delivered a more significant performance boost than anticipated.
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Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the Austrian Grand Prix, recording his joint-best result since his move to Ferrari
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He finished 10 seconds behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who secured his fourth podium of the season.
Hamilton expressed satisfaction with Ferrari's trajectory, particularly as they head into his home race at Silverstone where he has claimed a record nine victories.
He said: "For us to be the second fastest team this weekend, we're not a minute down from McLaren, which is positive.
"To bag some really strong points, I'm definitely happy with it.
"Everyone here has definitely been a lot calmer and more methodical this weekend, definitely a better output from the team."
Meanwhile, Gauff begins her Wimbledon campaign against Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday.