Lewis Hamilton’s Scuderia Ferrari HP adventure is now underway. Early this morning, the seven-time world champion arrived at the team’s Maranello headquarters at via Enzo Ferrari 27. From there he went to the Fiorano track where, against the backdrop of Enzo Ferrari’s house, in the small square now named after the only other seven-time Formula 1 world champion, Michael Schumacher, he was met by Team Principal, Fred Vasseur and Ferrari CEO, Benedetto Vigna. The traditional “first day” photos were taken there and even the weather helped to make Lewis feel at home, with some typically British overcast skies and drizzle. Also on hand was a Ferrari F40, Lewis’ favourite supercar.
Next on Lewis’ agenda was a short visit to the Fiorano house and the pit garage, with Vasseur and Vigna, including a look at the famous office, from where Enzo Ferrari would watch his team at work. Hamilton then returned to the Scuderia HQ, where he met the management team and Piero Ferrari, before embarking on a daylong total immersion programme, visiting all the various departments to get to know the team. The work continues tomorrow with more technical meetings and briefings as preparations get underway for what will be a very busy season.
Hamilton expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m incredibly grateful to John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna, Fred Vasseur and everyone at Ferrari for their trust in me and making me part of this family. I’m so excited to start this new era and to meet and work with a hugely talented and inspiring group of people. I’m dedicated to bringing everything I have to deliver for the team, the wider organisation and the fans.”
Hamilton expressed his excitement on social media, saying, “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days. 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. 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.”
Lewis Hamilton is set to make his Ferrari track debut on January 22 at Fiorano circuit, driving the F1-75 car from the 2022 Formula 1 season. After spending the last 12 years at Mercedes, Hamilton joined Ferrari and visited Maranello to prepare for his first run in red. He met his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, and made adjustments to his seat and steering wheel. Hamilton also had a first run on the simulator to get accustomed to his new environment.
The high-profile signing has enthused the tifosi, leading to fully booked hotels in the Sassuolo area and increased security measures requested by Maranello mayor Luigi Zironi. Hamilton will share the track with Charles Leclerc on Wednesday, with more testing planned at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya later this month. Ferrari intends to use its yearly 1000km of ‘Testing of Previous Cars’ allowed by F1’s new sporting regulations for current race drivers in 2025, benefiting its new hire.
