Lewis Hamilton drives Ferrari F1 car for first time: 'Best feeling of my life'
Yesterday at 06:14 PM
The seven-time world champion took to the Ferrari test track at Fiorano, Italy, completing his first laps for the famous red racing team.
Lewis Hamilton has driven a Ferrari Formula One car for the first time, completing his the first laps of the team's private Fiorano test track in Italy after 20 years
With the seven-time world champion’s arrival the dawn of an era at the team, the ‘tifosi’ (fans) lined the circuit on a foggy, misty morning to catch a glimpse of Hamilton driving a Ferrari F1 car wearing his famous #44 racing number around the 2.997km circuit.
Hamilton was wearing a racing helmet with a striking new yellow livery to compliment his new Ferrari red colours as he drove onto the circuit at 9:16 am local time for the Italian team, after arriving at its Maranello headquarters earlier this week to start his time with the team.
MORE: Lewis Hamilton's first day at Ferrari causes an F1 ruckus
Stepping into a new era ????
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 22, 2025
Lewis Hamilton takes his first lap in a Ferrari! pic.twitter.com/LCOws2haSn
“I've been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn't sure how many more firsts I had,” Hamilton said after his first fang in modern Ferrari Formula One machinery.
“But driving a Scuderia Ferrari car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life.
“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula One car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again.”
The seven-time world champion drove an SF-23 from the 2023 season, used in accordance with 'Testing of Previous Cars' (TPC) F1 regulations, which enable active drivers to complete up to 1000km in non-current cars.
MORE: Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton to join Ferrari in 2025
It didn’t matter to fans, who Hamilton acknowledged from the cockpit with a wave, before taking the time to greet many in person after his run.
“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the tifosi, but to now witness it first-hand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring.”
Hamilton is also expected to hit the track in Barcelona, Spain, next week as part of Ferrari's pre-season F1 testing program, again at the wheel of a previous year's race car.
The sessions are to allow the British driver to adjust to the new working environment at his new team and are not meant to be outright tests of speed or performance.
Ferrari is due to reveal the livery of its 2025 F1 race car at an official Formula One season launch event, an all-in teams showcase scheduled for 18 February 2025 celebrating the 75th anniversary of 'modern' F1 racing.
It will then reveal its actual 2025 car – not just the livery – at Fiorano on 19 February 2025, although the team has not confirmed whether Hamilton or his Ferrari team-mate, Charles Leclerc, will be behind the wheel.
Hamilton will also drive the 2025 Ferrari on track – having spent time in the team's simulator – at the official three-day pre-season test in Bahrain on 26-28 February 2025.
MORE: F1 driver and team line-up for 2025 championship
While Hamilton's move to Ferrari is the most prominent, yet there has been a significant driver re-shuffle heading into the new season including the arrival of Australian Jack Doohan, who – with Oscar Piastri – makes it two Australians on the grid.
Doohan, who will race for Alpine, is one of a number of rookies embarking on their first full-time F1 season.
Others include British driver Oliver Bearman at Haas, Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli – who replaces Hamilton at Mercedes-AMG – and Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber in place of Valtteri Bottas who has returned to Mercedes-AMG in a test driver role.
Max Verstappen – who won his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull in 2024 – will have a new team-mate in New Zealand's Liam Lawson, who replaces Sergio Perez at the team.
Lawson replaced Daniel Ricciardo at Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) – ending the Australian's F1 career – with the New Zealander's promotion to Red Bull seeing French-Algerian Isack Hadjar take over at his former team.
The Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park will open the 2025 season on 14-16 March.
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