Lewis Hamilton begins new F1 dream at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton, Formula One’s most successful driver of all time, has arrived for his first day at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy, and says it is a dream come true to race for the Italian team.

Almost a year since Hamilton announced his shock decision to leave Mercedes, where he won six of his seven Formula One world championships, the 40-year-old suited up on Monday for a photograph in front of team founder Enzo Ferrari’s office, standing next to a Ferrari supercar.

“There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever, and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.”

Hamilton’s first day included a seat fitting followed by the simulator, but due to weather conditions, he is not likely to have a first outing at the Fiorano test track until Wednesday while official testing starts in Bahrain on February 26-28.

The Briton had his worst season in Formula One last year in terms of championship position, finishing seventh overall, but did win two races after two seasons without a victory. Hamilton’s last championship win came in 2020.

He is taking the place of Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who has joined Williams. Hamilton will partner with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, who are without a driver’s title since 2007 but hope to change that in the 2025 season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16.

“Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together,” Hamilton said.