Lewis Hamilton will complete his first Ferrari test on Wednesday – the Formula 1 record world champion will be in Fiorano in the SF-23 from the 2023 season.
The new phase in the career of Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton has officially begun. The Briton took to the racetrack in a Formula 1 Ferrari for the first time on Wednesday in Fiorano during a private test drive.
At exactly 9:16 a.m. local time, the Ferrari newcomer left the garage for the first time in quite foggy Italy. On Wednesday, he will be driving the SF-23, the 2023 car with which the Scuderia took a race victory and finished third in the world championship.
Shortly before, pictures of the Briton in the red racing suit were shown for the first time and the new helmet with which Hamilton will compete in the 2025 season was also presented. In doing so, the 40-year-old is basically going back to his roots, as the helmet is completely yellow with just a few red accents.
Initially, he was on special Pirelli demo rain tires, before switching to hard slicks as the weather improved during the morning. He completed stints of up to ten laps without any significant problems, apart from a few wheel lock-ups in the hairpin due to the almost icy conditions.
However, the rain returned before lunch. By this point, the Briton had completed 30 laps or 89 kilometers in the Ferrari, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of enthusiastic Italian fans.
Hamilton: “One of the best feelings”
“I’ve been lucky enough to experience many firsts in my career, from my first test to my first race, podium, victory and championship. So I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I would experience, but driving a Ferrari for the first time this morning was one of the greatest feelings of my life,” said Hamilton, summing up the day.
“When I started the car and drove through the garage door, I had a big grin 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 again,” said the Briton.
I knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the tifosi! But to experience this first hand as a Ferrari driver was impressive,” he says. ”This passion flows through their veins, and you can’t help but be infected by it.”
“I am so grateful for the love I felt from everyone in Maranello this week. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I can’t wait to get started.”
Leclerc also in first race in 2025
In the afternoon, teammate Charles Leclerc was also able to take the wheel and drive 14 laps on the Italian track.
Charles is back on track for 2025! pic.twitter.com/sLq0GM28NG
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 22, 2025
“The first day in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays,” says the Monegasque driver. “It’s good to be back on the track and to see so many fans come to see us. It’s very motivating to feel all this enthusiasm around the team. It was a good day, even though it rained a bit when I was driving.”
“Of course, it was nice to see Lewis doing his first laps in a Ferrari, which was a special moment for the team and for him. Now I’m looking forward to getting back in the car next week and starting the hard work for the upcoming season,” said Leclerc.
Vasseur: ‘Emotional feeling’
Wednesday was also a special day for Team Principal Frederic Vasseur: “Like every year, the first time you go out on track is a bit like the first day at school and it’s quite an emotional feeling, especially today as it was Lewis’ first day with the team,” says the Frenchman.
“Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see that he is fit and relaxed and looking forward to racing again.“
”As for the technical side, Charles and Lewis did their laps in not exactly the best weather, but they got back into the swing of things and got to know the track before the first real test in a month in Bahrain. It was also a warm-up for the team in the garage. That was the only purpose of today,” said Vasseur.
Hamilton’s exciting Ferrari week
Hamilton has been in Maranello all week getting to know his new team. On Monday, he visited the famous villa of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, before meeting team principal Frederic Vasseur, CEO Benedetto Vigna and deputy president Piero Ferrari and introducing himself to the team at the factory.
A seat was also customized for him there and he went through his first procedures in the simulator. “There are days you will remember forever, and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of them,” Hamilton wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.
Stepping into a new era
Lewis Hamilton takes his first lap in a Ferrari! pic.twitter.com/LCOws2haSn
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 22, 2025
“I’ve been lucky enough to achieve things in my career that I never thought possible, but a part of me has always held on to the dream of driving in red. I couldn’t be happier to make that dream a reality today.”
“Today we begin a new era in the history of this iconic team and I can’t wait to see what history we will write together.”
Hamilton’s first ‘real’ Formula One Ferrari for the 2025 season, which has not yet been officially named, will be presented on February 19.
