Lewis Hamilton is done with his first Ferrari F1 drive at Fiorano, with Charles Leclerc also joining him to shake off the cobwebs ahead of 2025 season.
Having had two days of ‘getting to know’ programme, Hamilton had his first test run with Ferrari on Monday at Fiorano. The weather was not as good for either the Brit or Leclerc, who took over in the afternoon, but both got good number of laps to kick-start the 2025 F1 journey together.
Hamilton started his run at 9:16 AM local time and as Ferrari states, it was mere co-incidence that Michael Schumacher too faced a foggy day when he had his first run back in 1995 on November 16. It didn’t deter the #44, who eventually completed 30 laps in all – which included a run on slick tyre.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur and his deputy Jerome D’Ambrosio were on scene to oversee things, as Hamilton attempted practice starts as well to further understand the car and its system while in deep conversions with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami.
Hamilton paid a visit to the fans gathered on Giardini overpass during lunch break, which Leclerc did so too after his run in the afternoon. The Monegasque started his time at 13:32 local time and completed 14 laps on the SF-23. He was on a different run plan to Hamilton as can be ascertained.
Both Vasseur and D’Ambrosio were present for his run too, as Hamilton and Leclerc undertook a mini debrief after their respective runs. The Monegasque also greeted the fans with some ‘doughnuts’ in the car. He spent his morning at Maranello meeting with his side of the garage.
“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 but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning, was one of the best feelings of my life,” said Hamilton, who also had his family present for his first run with Ferrari.
“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again. I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi!
“But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring. That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it. I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started,” summed up Hamilton.
His teammate Leclerc too chimed in. “The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays,” he said. “It’s good to be back on track, to see that so many fans came out to watch us. Feeling all this excitement surrounding the team is very motivating. It was a good day, even though it was raining a little bit when I was driving.
“Of course it was nice to be able to see Lewis driving his first laps in a Ferrari, which was a special moment for the team and for him. Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season.”
And team boss Vasseur added: “As is the case every year, the first time you go out on 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. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see him fit, relaxed and keen to go racing again.
“As for the technical side, Charles and Lewis did their laps in not the best weather, but they got back in the swing of things and immersed themselves in the track environment prior to 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 sole purpose of today.”
Here’s video: https://x.com/ScuderiaFerrari/status/1882000950157844701
Here’s photos from Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton
Here’s Lewis Hamilton sharing first thoughts with Ferrari
Here’s Lewis Hamilton on no comparison with Michael Schumacher
Here’s F1 fans voting Ferrari pair as best for 2025
Here’s Frederic Vasseur on what pleased him in 2024
Here’s link to a F1 Discord channel, join in to interact
