Lewis Hamilton has described his first experience of driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car as “one of the best feelings of my life”.
Hamilton got behind the wheel of the 2023 Ferrari F1 car on Wednesday at the Scuderia’s Fiorano test track in front of around 1,500 fans, with his first laps captured by Sky Sports News’ cameras – and reporter Craig Slater.
The 40-year-old’s shock move to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari was announced 12 months ago and his first run in one of their iconic red cars has been eagerly awaited ever since.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, the podium, the win and the championship,” said Hamilton.
“I wasn’t sure how many more times I had, but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life.”
“When I started the car and walked through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am. I’m almost 20 years later, feeling those emotions again.”
What happened in Hamilton’s first Ferrari test?
Hamilton completed 30 laps (55 miles) of the Fiorano circuit, which is just over a quarter of the normal Grand Prix distance.
After an installation lap, attended by his family and senior figures at Ferrari, including team principal Frederic Vasseur and vice-president Piero Ferrari, Hamilton returned to the garage before taking a few flying laps and practice getting used to the systems.
Hamilton was driving with a Ferrari engine behind him for the first time in F1, using Mercedes power exclusively since his 2007 debut at McLaren, before joining the German manufacturer’s own team in 2013.
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Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slater was on the ground in Italy to get the latest Tifosi reaction as Lewis Hamilton took his first laps in a Ferrari.
After his morning test, Hamilton went out to meet some of the fans to thank them for coming out to witness the historic moment.
“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi!” he said.
“But witnessing it first-hand as a Ferrari driver has been amazing. That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energized by it.
“I’m very grateful for the love I’ve felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started.”
Leclerc: Special moment for the team
All teams are still working on their new 2025 cars behind closed doors at their respective factories with just over a month until pre-season testing in Bahrain on February 26-28, ahead of the start of the Prix season Great Australian. on March 16.
Using the same SF-23 car, Hamilton’s new team-mate Charles Leclerc ran another program in the afternoon and completed 14 laps in his first outing of 2025.
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Take a look at what Lewis Hamilton got up to on his first day at Ferrari on Monday
“The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays. It’s good to be back on track, to see so many fans come out to see us,” said Leclerc.
“Feeling all this emotion surrounding the team is very motivating. It was a nice day, even though it was raining a little while I was driving.
“Of course it was great to see Lewis drive 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 really getting started. working hard for next season”.
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Frederic Vasseur gives his thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari and whether there will be a settling-in period for the seven-time world champion
Team principal Vasseur added: “As is the case every year, the first time you hit the track is a bit like the first day back at school and quite an emotional feeling, especially today as it was Lewis’ first day as part of the team .
Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment. Perhaps today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see him fit, relaxed and eager to go racing again.
“On the technical side, Charles and Lewis lapped in not the best weather, but they got back into the swing of things and immersed themselves in the track environment ahead of the first proper test in a month’s time in Bahrain. It was also a warm-up for the team in the garage, that was the only goal of today.”
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