Lewis Hamilton He puts on the red jumpsuit and is already behind the wheel of a Ferrari. The English pilot, after his official visit to the headquarters in Maranello and meet the workers of his new team, he was able to drive a car from the historic team for the first time this Wednesday.
In FioranoFerrari’s private track, Hamilton has tested the 2022 car, a model with which the Spaniard Carlos Sainz he won his first race wearing red. At 9:17 in the morning he left the boxesto the expectation of the mechanics and also of the tifosi who gathered in the surrounding area.
Such were the dimensions of this day that the chain Sky Sports He broadcast live the moment when Hamilton started the Ferrari for the first time. During the morning, the English driver accumulated a total of 30 laps of the track.
In the early stages, the seven-time world champion had difficulties adjusting the braking in the 180-degree fork of the circuit, with a slight departure from the track after a blockage and another similar incident on the front axle. The day was marked by fog.
The test in Fiorano is part of the days allowed by the Formula 1 regulations to test cars from previous seasons. Dozens of fans gathered at the circuit, waving flags of the Scuderiato witness Hamilton dressed in red.
🗣️ “Can he complete the masterpiece of his career?”
Lewis Hamilton has driven his first lap in a Ferrari car at the constructor’s test track at Fiorano 🔴 pic.twitter.com/f60SIC34LU
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) January 22, 2025
One of the details that caught the most attention on this day was Hamilton’s new helmet. Instead of what was expected, it is not red, but yellow, a shade known as giallo Modenaone of Ferrari’s iconic colors for its supercars. This design is reminiscent of the helmet he wore at the beginning of his Formula 1 career in McLarenbefore opting for more fluorescent colors in recent years with mercedes.
On Monday, Hamilton shared his first photo as a Ferrari driver on his social networks, posing in Maranello next to a car of the brand and the team’s flag. “I have been lucky enough to achieve things in my career that I never imagined possible, but a part of me has always kept the dream of running in red,” he said in a post on instagram.
In a message in both English and Italian, he added: “Today, my first day as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days that I will remember forever.”
Hamilton replaces Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, who will compete this year with the British team Williams next to Alex Albon. The arrival of the seven-time world champion to Ferrari marks a new era for the team, which last season achieved second place in the constructors’ championship.
Hamilton’s calendar
Soon, the British will share the stage with his partner Charles Leclerc at the official presentation event of the season, on February 18 in London. A day later, Ferrari will unveil its new car in Maranellobefore the preseason tests in Bahrainscheduled from February 26 to 28.
These will be Hamilton’s first steps and Leclerc in the fight for the 2025 championship, an ambitious goal for the iconic Italian team.