Watch: Lewis Hamilton drives a Ferrari automotive for the primary time after 11-year run with Mercedes

After a profitable affiliation with Mercedes that lasted greater than a decade throughout which he gained six of his seven System One world titles, Lewis Hamilton was seen sporting Ferrari’s iconic purple for the primary time on Wednesday, and described the expertise of driving a Ferrari automotive because the “probably the greatest emotions of my life.”

Hamilton was behind the wheel of a 2023-specification Ferrari SF-23 bearing his racing quantity, 44, on the crew’s Fiorano check monitor and wore a brand new helmet design in yellow with a outstanding Prancing Horse brand.

The 40-year-old British driver set out for his first lap at 9:16 a.m. native time in mild fog and twice waved to a crowd of round 1,000 spectators, who had gathered on a close-by bridge regardless of the chilly and moist climate.

“Once I began the automotive up and drove by means of that storage door, I had the most important smile on my face,” Hamilton stated of his first drive in a Ferrari since becoming a member of the Italian crew for the 2025 season. “It jogged my memory of the very first time I examined a System 1 automotive, it was such an thrilling and particular second, and right here I’m, nearly 20 years later, feeling these feelings once more.”

Getting into a brand new period 👊

Lewis Hamilton takes his first lap in a Ferrari! pic.twitter.com/LCOws2haSn

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 22, 2025

Half-way by means of the day, Hamilton headed over to followers who had waited for hours within the moist situations since early morning for a glimpse of him behind the wheel. Sporting a jacket in Ferrari purple, he waved, gave a thumbs-up gesture and put a hand to his coronary heart. Hamilton’s mom was amongst his members of the family available for the event.

“I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have many firsts in my profession, from the primary check to the primary race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t positive what number of extra firsts I had however driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP automotive for the primary time this morning, was probably the greatest emotions of my life,” Hamilton stated.

Hamilton has shaken up F1 along with his transfer to Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, the place he gained six of his seven world titles.

There was pleasure Wednesday from certainly one of Italy’s largest sports activities stars, too.

After reaching the semifinals on the Australian Open, top-ranked tennis participant Jannik Sinner was requested by an Italian reporter if he had seen something on social media about Hamilton’s Ferrari debut.

“It’s nonetheless fairly unusual to see him in purple,” Sinner stated, “nevertheless it’ll be a terrific season.”

Hamilton, who arrived Monday at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters for his first day at work with the brand new crew, has stated he’s fulfilling a childhood dream.

“I already knew from the skin how passionate the Ferrari household is, from everybody within the crew to the tifosi (followers),” he stated. “However to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring. That keenness runs by means of their veins and you’ll’t assist however be energized by it.”

F1 tightly restricts groups from testing current-specification vehicles however the guidelines are extra free for older vehicles just like the SF-23 that Hamilton drove Wednesday. The F1 laws for 2025 permit Hamilton to drive as much as 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) over 4 days in older F1 vehicles beneath the “testing of earlier vehicles” rule. The SF-23 is the latest Ferrari that’s eligible.

Pre-season testing for the brand new season’s vehicles is from Feb. 26 by means of 28 in Bahrain.