Lewis Hamilton reveals what 'blown away' his first visit to Ferrari's factory
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Lewis Hamilton Officially Joins Ferrari: First Impressions and Emotions Ahead of 2025
Lewis Hamilton has officially become a Ferrari Formula 1 driver. After a year of anticipation, the British icon is now fully integrated into the Scuderia team ahead of the 2025 season.
The SF-25's livery was unveiled at Ferrari's F1 75 launch event on Tuesday, held at the O2 Arena, marking Hamilton's first public appearance wearing the iconic red. As he took the stage alongside team principal Frédéric Vasseur and teammate Charles Leclerc, the seven-time world champion was met with an overwhelming reception, with Vasseur noting that Hamilton appeared visibly "emotional" during the event.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Ferrari swiftly returned to Italy for their first test session of the SF-25. Leclerc began the morning driving the car, followed by Hamilton in the afternoon at the famous Fiorano test track. This marked Hamilton's second outing at the track, having previously tested the SF-23 there in January, just days after visiting Ferrari's Maranello factory for the first time.
Despite the early challenges of adapting to a completely new team, Hamilton's excitement and optimism about his future with Ferrari are unmistakable.
Lewis Hamilton "Blown Away" by Ferrari's Passion and Welcome
During his first visit to Maranello, Hamilton had the opportunity to meet his new colleagues and immerse himself in the team's operations. A memorable moment from this visit was a photo of Hamilton outside of Enzo Ferrari's house, which quickly went viral, becoming the most-liked F1-related Instagram post in history.
In his first interview with Ferrari's official YouTube channel, Hamilton reflected on his journey to this point, a moment he had been eagerly anticipating for nearly a year. His sense of awe and appreciation for the team's passion was clear, as he shared how deeply the warm reception from the Ferrari staff had "blown him away."
The 40-year-old shared that he was “blown away” by the passion of the people in Maranello. He explained that the build-up to the moment had been “months and months” of waiting, and it felt like the longest period of anticipation. However, he noted that every day had been “so new and exciting,” and meeting the team had left him impressed by their warm reception and the passion they displayed.
He reflected on his years at races, where he had seen only a small part of Ferrari, typically the race team. He remarked that while there was always a larger team behind the scenes, it wasn't until he was actually at Maranello that he fully appreciated its scale. According to him, seeing a small group of around 100 people at race weekends, with such intense passion, was one thing, but seeing the thousands working behind the scenes on the cars and the team elevated the experience even further.
All eyes will undoubtedly be on Lewis Hamilton when he makes his highly anticipated debut for Ferrari at the opening race of the 2025 season in Melbourne. With the start of the new campaign just around the corner, the Scuderia is expecting nothing less than strong performance from Hamilton in his first outing with the team, and the seven-time world champion will be eager to make an immediate impact and begin his journey with Ferrari on a positive note.
Jean Alesi, a former Ferrari driver, has praised Hamilton's early performances with the team, stating that the 40-year-old has "impressed everybody" at Maranello so far. With a renewed sense of motivation, Hamilton is more determined than ever to chase down a record-breaking eighth world championship title, and his drive to succeed is clear.
Nigel Mansell, the 1992 Formula 1 world champion, has also expressed his belief that 2025 will be a "monumental" season for Hamilton. Mansell highlighted that Ferrari's pursuit of both the drivers' and constructors' championships has been long overdue, with the team's last titles coming in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Given the new driver lineup, Mansell feels that the Scuderia has the potential to challenge at the front once again.
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