Hamilton 'realises dream' on first day at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton stated that he "lived his dream" as his first official day at Ferrari marked a "new era in the history of this iconic team." Hamilton, the 40-year-old seven-time world champion, began preparations for his first season with his new team at Ferrari's Maranello factory on Monday.

Hamilton signed with Ferrari last January but, due to contractual obligations with Mercedes, did not have substantial contact until the end of 2024. "Some days you know you will remember forever, and today, my first day as a Ferrari driver, is one of them," he posted on Instagram. "I am incredibly fortunate to have achieved things in my career that I could only have ever dreamed of, but I’ve always held a dream of driving in the red. I am beyond excited to be here today living that dream."

On his first day, Hamilton met with key personnel and familiarized himself with the factory and the team. "Today, we are opening a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what we will write together," Ferrari stated, adding that team principal Frederic Vasseur and CEO Benedetto Vigna accompanied him on a tour of "the house and pit lane at Fiorano, including a visit to the famous office from where [founder] Enzo Ferrari would watch his team at work."

The statement added, "Hamilton then returned to Ferrari headquarters, where he met with the management team and [vice-chairman] Piero Ferrari, before embarking on a full day of immersion, touring the various departments to get to know the team. Work will continue tomorrow, including further technical meetings and briefings, in preparation for the busy season ahead." The Briton is expected to drive a 2023 F1 car at Ferrari's Fiorano test track later this week and complete further driving tests in Barcelona before the launch of the 2025 Ferrari on February 19. He may also test the 2025 car in the team's simulator.

Under F1 testing restrictions, the 2023 car is the most recent model Hamilton is permitted to drive. One of the differences he will have to adjust to is that this will be the first time in Hamilton’s 18-year F1 career that he will be driving a car not powered by a Mercedes engine. Official F1 pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain from February 26-28, with Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc splitting the three days of testing equally. Vasseur has stated that Hamilton faces a “challenge” in the short time frame before the Australian season opener from March 14-16.

“It's not easy, but he's coming with his own experience. But he's not a rookie of the year, and I'm not worried at all about that," Vasseur said at Ferrari’s Christmas lunch last month. Hamilton will have a residence in Italy to help him integrate into Ferrari, which is viewed as a national team. Hamilton and Ferrari will join the other teams at the official F1 launch at London's O2 Arena on February 18 before returning to Italy for the Ferrari's new car launch the following day.