Lewis Hamilton’s First Ferrari Drive: A Historic Moment in Maranello

MARANELLO, Italy — Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton described his first experience behind the wheel of a Ferrari as “one of the best feelings of my life” during a test session at the team’s Fiorano track on Wednesday. The historic moment marked Hamilton’s debut with the iconic Italian team after his high-profile move from Mercedes.

Hamilton completed 30 laps in the SF-23, a two-year-old car used to comply with F1 testing regulations, in front of a crowd of enthusiastic fans gathered at the Giardini overpass. Despite foggy and wet conditions, the British driver expressed overwhelming excitement about his new chapter with Ferrari.

“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. “But driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life.”

Hamilton began his day with a single installation lap on wet tires at 9:16 a.m. local time, sporting a yellow helmet reminiscent of his early F1 career. His family, including father Anthony, mother Carmen, and stepmother Linda, were present in the garage, alongside Piero Ferrari, son of the team’s founder Enzo Ferrari.

For his second run, Hamilton switched to slick tires, completing flying laps, practice starts, and system checks. Ferrari limited his mileage to 89 kilometers due to new 2025 regulations restricting testing of previous cars to 1,000 kilometers per year for championship drivers.

After the session, Hamilton conducted a debrief with his new engineering team, including race engineer Riccardo Adami, who previously worked with Carlos Sainz, the driver Hamilton is replacing. The seven-time champion later waved to fans, acknowledging their support. “I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi,” Hamilton said. “But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring.”

Hamilton’s new teammate, Charles Leclerc, also participated in the test, completing 14 laps in the same car. Team principal Fred Vasseur emphasized the emotional significance of the day, calling it a “warmup” for the team ahead of the official pre-season test in Bahrain next month.

Beyond the track, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has already made waves in the business world. A photo of Hamilton in Ferrari attire became the most-liked Formula 1 post in Instagram history, generating significant value for team sponsors. According to Sponsorlytix, a single social media post by Hamilton delivered over $62,000 in brand value for title sponsor HP and $50,000 for Ferrari.

Hamilton is expected to return to testing later this month at the Circuit de Catalunya, as Ferrari prepares for the 2025 season. The British driver’s arrival marks a new era for the team, both on and off the track.