It's a very special place, Fiorano. So special, Enzo's old office remains on the grounds just beside the circuit itself in timewarp status; a reminder the Big Man wanted a special place in the world away from prying eyes to hone his cars to perfection. Each Ferrari must master this figure-of-eight circuit before being sent out into the world, and each Ferrari has a Fiorano lap time - an indication of where it stands in the hierarchy. So, we've rounded up the fastest road-going Ferraris to lap Fiorano, taking in lots of rather special stuff including such hits as the Enzo, F430 and even the Testarossa... Look out for your regular round-up of news No money from the licence fee was used to create this website The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation playLewis Hamilton's first time behind the wheel for Ferrari (0:25)Lewis Hamilton steps out in a Ferrari for the first time in Fiorano during a visit to the team's HQ Lewis Hamilton got behind the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time on Wednesday at Fiorano during his first week with the team Crowds of fans gathered in Maranello at the team's base to witness Hamilton's first track outing as a Ferrari driver F1's regulations allow him to drive a car that is at least two years old and Ferrari is able to make use of its own test track which sits within the grounds of its Maranello factory Lewis Hamilton drives the Ferrari SF-24 during his first week as a Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver at Fiorano Circuit.. Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesSeveral publicly accessible areas provide viewpoints of the Fiorano circuit and fans were keen to line areas of perimeter fencing to get a glimpse of Hamilton driving a Ferrari F1 car for the first time Hamilton posted a photograph of himself in his red race suit on Tuesday, before revealing the first image of his new yellow and red helmet design on Instagram on Wednesday morning Hamilton used a yellow helmet when he first arrived in F1 in 2007 but the new design also links in with the yellow on Ferrari's logo Clive Rose/Getty ImagesAfter 12 years driving for Mercedes seven-time champion Hamilton made the switch to Ferrari on New Year's Day but only started work at Maranello this week when he visited the factory After meeting with the team's management on Monday including chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna he introduced himself to the various departments that make up the Ferrari workforce He also had a seat fit to ensure his comfort in the car and will have been able to get a first impression of the 2025 car in the team's simulator he is not expected to drive the 2025 car in reality until its launch day on February 19 Audi announce organisational restructure ahead of F1 arrival in 2026 5 Winners and 5 Losers from Miami – Who excelled in the Sunshine State Tsunoda concedes he ‘made life much more difficult’ with five-second penalty in Miami after battling for final point Antonelli taking plenty of positives from Miami weekend despite struggles on way to P6 in the Grand Prix ‘We took the tough decision’ – Vasseur defends Ferrari team orders situation in Miami as he acknowledges Hamilton’s frustration Ferrari have shared a special look at Lewis Hamilton’s first lap in one of their F1 cars with the seven-time world champion making his official debut at Fiorano earlier this week Former Mercedes driver Hamilton took to the team’s dedicated test track – located next to their Maranello factory – early on Wednesday morning as part of a special pre-season “immersion programme” READ MORE: ‘One of the best feelings of my life’ – Hamilton reflects on ‘special’ first Ferrari drive In a new video released on Ferrari’s social media channels behind-the-scenes footage shows Hamilton preparing to drive the SF-23 rolling out of the garage and working his way around the track in cool Also included are Hamilton’s first radio messages in his new environment – the Briton reflecting on an “amazing” experience while carrying out a sound check with his Race Engineer Riccardo Adami Hit go on the video player above to watch Hamilton’s Ferrari debut as it happened Don't miss your chance to experience the picturesque Imola circuit.. MIAMI LOWDOWN: All the key moments as McLaren and Antonelli shine, Ferrari face tensions and LEGO takes over MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: How Leclerc and Hamilton’s opposing Miami strategies culminated in fractious Ferrari radio exchanges HIGHLIGHTS: Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 after thrilling race in Miami Driveable LEGO big builds welcomed to Miami drivers’ parade Cadillac unveil their team logo and brand during dazzling Miami launch event ahead of 2026 entry ‘We made it count when it mattered’ – Russell satisfied with recovery to podium after troublesome Miami weekend MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: How Leclerc and Hamilton’s opposing Miami strategies culminated in fractious Ferrari radio exchanges Stella ‘surprised’ by McLaren advantage after 1-2 in Miami as he hails particular area of engineering 'excellence' © 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited Get quick access to your favorite articles Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers Make your voice heard with article commenting Lewis Hamilton has embarked on his first on-track outing with his new Ferrari team turning the wheel of a 2023 F1 car at the team's Fiorano test track seven-time world champion Hamilton took the wheel of the SF-23 on a foggy Wednesday morning as hordes of Italian tifosi flocked to Ferrari's proprietary test venue in Maranello to spot a glimpse of their new hero Donned in a red overall and a bright yellow helmet, Hamilton set his first laps of a filming day on Pirelli's wet demo tyres to conduct systems checks, and will be later joined by Charles Leclerc as Ferrari captures a full day of content from Hamilton's first driving day Hamilton switched to Pirelli's hard slick tyres as weather conditions briefly cleared up completing stints of up to 10 laps of Fiorano without notable issues other than a few harmless lock-ups at the hairpin due to the near glacial conditions with the Briton having clocked around 30 laps in the Ferrari at that stage under the watchful eye of hundreds of enthusiastic Italian fans The Briton has been in Maranello all week to meet his new team visiting Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari's famous mansion on Monday which produced an instant classic image of Hamilton posing in front of the house in his inimitable sartorial style Hamilton spent the day meeting team principal Fred Vasseur and chief executive Benedetto Vigna The 40-year-old also got a seat made and worked through driving procedures in the Italian team's simulator “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today is one of those days,” Hamilton wrote in an Instagram post on Monday “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.” Wednesday morning's outing is Hamilton's first session with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami, with Hamilton's long-time ally Peter Bonnington staying put at Mercedes. But Hamilton will be re-united with his former physio Angela Cullen, who has joined the Briton's Project 44 company after two years away. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. Receive exciting Motorsport news, updates, and special offers straight to your inbox. Make your voice heard with article commenting. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Lewis Hamilton has described his Ferrari debut as “one of the best feelings of my life” after completing a private test at the team’s Fiorano test track on Wednesday Hamilton completed 30 laps at Fiorano on Wednesday behind the wheel of the SF-23 car of 2023 before handing over to new team-mate Charles Leclerc for the afternoon session The seven-time World Champion’s debut drew a large crowd with hundreds of fans there to witness Hamilton’s test debut Hamilton took time out of his busy schedule to greet the fans after his running had concluded A Ferrari report of the test read: “An eagerly awaited debut in a red car for one driver and the first run out of the season for another were the items on the agenda for Scuderia Ferrari HP at the Fiorano track today as the team had its first taste of track action of the 2025 season 👉 Lewis Hamilton now finally has a chance to escape the ghosts of Abu Dhabi 2021 👉 Four reasons why Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari makes so much sense “Rain had greeted Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari on Monday and today that gave way to quite thick fog which slightly spoilt the view for the huge number of fans who had gathered on the via Giardini overpass in Maranello that runs alongside the Ferrari-owned test track who would go on to be a seven-time world champion for a single installation lap on rain tyres under the watchful eye of Team Principal Fred Vasseur and his deputy Jerome d’Ambrosio “Members of Lewis’ family were also there and were clearly excited speaking to his race engineer Riccardo Adami over the radio with Vice President Piero Ferrari having also arrived to watch the action while also attempting some practice starts as he got to grips with all the systems on the car equal to 89 kilometres: no doubt he would have liked to do more but as from this year even the TPC tests (Testing of Previous Cars) which allow teams to run cars that are at least two years old can only cover a total of a thousand kilometres in the hands of the teams’ race drivers “Following the post-session debrief with the engineers Lewis went out to the corner where the fans were gathered to say hello and thank them for their warm welcome over his first few days as a ‘ferrarista’ as the Scuderia mechanics changed the configuration on the car at 13.32 the SF-23 went back out on track bearing Charles Leclerc’s number 16 the Monegasque was in meetings in the Maranello offices and now 43 days after the end-of-season Abu Dhabi test he ran a different programme to Lewis as the SF-23 holds no secrets for him “Vasseur and d’Ambrosio were again keen observers in the garage equivalent to 42 kilometres bringing today’s total to 44 laps and 131 kilometers he also went out to meet the fans who had patiently endured the damp and cold conditions in Maranello he got them cheering with some celebratory ‘doughnuts’ on track Hamilton said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning “When I started the car up and drove through that garage door It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car it was such an exciting and special moment “I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is 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.” 👉 Lewis Hamilton news 👉 Ferrari news 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 “It was also a warm-up for the team in the garage That was the sole purpose of today.” Leclerc said: “The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays to see that so many fans came out to watch us Feeling all this excitement surrounding the team is very motivating 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.” Read next: Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari test: All the action as it unfolded from Fiorano © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved Ferrari’s new Formula 1 car has made its debut in a private outing at their Fiorano test track Fresh from attending F1’s spectacular season launch at London’s The O2 on Tuesday night the team flew back home to Italy to prepare for the SF-25’s maiden run READ MORE: ‘I feel so full of life’ – Hamilton ‘invigorated’ as he begins new Ferrari adventure at F1 75 Live Charles Leclerc had the honour of driving the car out of the garage early on Wednesday morning with new team mate Lewis Hamilton and team boss Frederic Vasseur watching on Check out a gallery of Ferrari’s latest challenger in action at the top of the page Driveable LEGO big builds welcomed to Miami drivers’ parade FACTS AND STATS: Piastri secures McLaren’s first victory hat trick in over 25 years Piastri full of praise for McLaren after ‘unbelievable’ and ‘impressive’ victory in Miami Lewis Hamilton was 0.8 seconds slower than new team-mate Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari SF-25 shakedown at Fiorano It comes just weeks after the former Mercedes driver lapped almost two seconds slower than Leclerc in a tyre test in Barcelona Hamilton’s preparations for his first season as a Ferrari driver reached a key milestone on Tuesday when the team revealed their new car for F1 2025 in the immediate aftermath of Formula 1’s season-launch event in London The SF-25 recorded its first laps the following morning as Leclerc took to the circuit at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track for a brief shakedown test completing around 30 laps before Hamilton took over for the afternoon session The shakedown represented the only running Hamilton and Leclerc will get behind the wheel of the SF-25 before the start of F1’s single pre-season test in Bahrain Ferrari elected against issuing an official report of the Fiorano shakedown with the run classed as a private filming day a report by Spanish publication Marca has claimed that Hamilton’s fastest lap at Fiorano was a massive eight tenths slower than Leclerc according to unofficial data The comparison is considered unrepresentative given that the Ferrari drivers were running on a special Pirelli tyres for the shakedown which bear little resemblance to the tyres set to be raced during the season in F1 2025 Hamilton’s latest pace deficit to Leclerc comes after Pirelli provided the first official comparisons between the new Ferrari team-mates over the course of a two-day tyre test in Barcelona earlier this month Having outpaced Leclerc by 0.130 seconds on the first day of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where they shared a modified version of Ferrari’s 2024 car Hamilton trailed his team-mate by a huge 1.788 seconds 24 hours later Pirelli stressed at the time that the published laptimes carried ‘no real significance given the different work programmes carried out’ by Ferrari and McLaren who were also on track at the Spanish Grand Prix venue A separate report by Italian outlet Auto Racer has shed more light on the claimed fastest times indicating that the Ferrari drivers were on separate programmes It is said that the greater experience of Leclerc preparing for his seventh full season with Ferrari having arrived at Maranello ahead of the 2019 season allowed him to push straight away even though ‘pure performance was not the priority’ of his run was on building his confidence and getting a clearer picture of what he requires from the team and the car ahead of the new season It is reported that both drivers gave ‘positive feedback’ to the team after their respective runs struggled for one-lap pace during his final season at Mercedes in 2024 qualifying behind team-mate George Russell at 19 of the season’s 24 races whose only pole position over the last three seasons came at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix to concede that he is “not fast anymore” at the penultimate round of the season in Qatar is widely regarded as one of the fastest drivers over a single lap on the current grid The Monegasque has claimed 26 pole positions since 2019 putting him four clear of current Aston Martin driver and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso Leclerc has been limited to just eight race wins to date with Hamilton the record holder having claimed a 105th career triumph at Spa last July Read next: Ferrari SF-25 analysis: Worst-kept secret not the only big change as Ferrari aim high The fans outside Ferrari’s test track in Fiorano had been there long before dawn others had brought stepladders and pulled away at the green netting that had been installed to keep out prying eyes and camera lenses At one point, the growing throng of Tifosi was five or six people deep, each with craned necks trying to catch a glimpse of Lewis Hamilton’s first lap in a Ferrari F1 car Some held their mobile phones aloft trying to film him many of their devices were shrouded in Ferrari protective cases History was being made in front of their eyes as Hamilton kicked off his new chapter with F1’s most famous team part of F1’s permitted Testing of Previous Car programme was never intended for the fans or open to the media but Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has reinvigorated the excitement in the Scuderia Shortly after setting out on his maiden installation lap at 09:16 his Ferrari team posted a short 25-second video on their social media channels saying: “Stepping into a new era Lewis Hamilton takes his first lap in a Ferrari!” The video showed him leaving the famous Fiorano office that once belonged to Enzo Ferrari Watch: Hamilton makes Ferrari F1 test debut at Fiorano Hamilton is dressed in his Ferrari red race suit and boots and carrying a yellow helmet akin to the one he first wore on the kart track in homage to his hero He’s filmed walking into the garage in Fiorano and produces a wry smile before putting on his helmet and climbing into the cockpit with his racing number 44 on display on the shark fin of the 2023 Ferrari and unsurprisingly the install lap is a slow one across the greasy track with rain imminent sposa fortunata” – a translation is “wet bride Despite the clouds, there is a perception that Hamilton is already uplifted. The comments across social media are that he looks way cooler in Ferrari red than he ever did at Mercedes The staged photos that have been released would certainly prove that he feels comfortable Hamilton went to the fence and greeted the fans outside the circuit Since he announced he was leaving Mercedes for Ferrari 12 months ago there has been a queue of talking heads warning the 40-year-old that he would face a cultural challenge at Ferrari racing with a Ferrari engine and Ferrari’s own unique way of operating would all be new to Hamilton he has been smart in picking the team close to him to help him navigate the integration. His Project Forty Four company has grown to include several new hires Commercial manager Kel Akpobire joined eight months ago from global talent agency CAA. Global communication specialist Jo Livingston who has worked with Hamilton while at public relations firm Freuds has also joined along with chief legal officer Andin Fonyonga They join a team that includes Ellen Kolby Hansen, who has been with Hamilton since his days at McLaren And the operation is headed up by Marc Hynes a former racing driver and Hamilton’s most trusted lieutenant The latest addition to the company is Angela Cullen Hamilton’s physio who was by his side at Mercedes for six of his seven world titles In surrounding himself with people he knows and trusts who operate in the background Hamilton will be freed up to forge those relationships within Ferrari One of the ways Michael Schumacher engaged with Ferrari when he joined from Benetton in 1996 was not only by his famed work ethic or indeed never publicly criticising the team Schumacher got to learn what was important to his Ferrari team and in doing so would spend time getting to know the staff Hamilton is likely to adopt the same principles to help him So while all the interest is on his first laps in a Ferrari the real groundwork now starts to build that relationship within the team who he needs the full support of if he is to win an eighth world title From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport In order to keep delivering our expert journalism we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker Lewis Hamilton’s dream first week as a Ferrari driver continued on Wednesday with the seven-time World Champion getting the chance to complete his first laps in one of the team’s F1 cars Hamilton’s run at Ferrari’s dedicated Fiorano track – just around the corner from their Maranello headquarters – is part of an “immersion programme” to help him get used to life at the Scuderia in the build-up to the 2025 season MUST-SEE: How new Ferrari driver Hamilton’s first day at Maranello unfolded Wednesday morning saw Hamilton hit another milestone when he took to the track in red Ferrari confirmed that Hamilton left the Fiorano garage at 09:16 CET with his initial running – in front of some dedicated Tifosi at the side of the circuit – taking place in cool The outing comes amid further positive news for the former Mercedes man, who is set to reunite with his former trainer Angela Cullen as he begins his next F1 chapter READ MORE: Hamilton shares first look at striking helmet design for new Ferrari chapter Check out Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari on-track outing in the gallery at the top of the page VideoHIGHLIGHTS: Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 after thrilling race in Miami 'It was frustrating' – Hamilton opens up on tense Miami radio messages during Ferrari strategy debate OFFICIAL GRID: Wet Miami race in prospect as Gasly starts from pit lane Ferrari have bid farewell to Carlos Sainz in memorable style by hosting a track day for the Spaniard and his rally driver father which saw both of them get behind the wheel of the squad’s 2022 car Following on from Sainz competing in his last race for the Scuderia in Abu Dhabi the 30-year-old headed to the Fiorano track on Tuesday along with Sainz Snr with the latter ready to make his debut in a Ferrari Formula 1 car READ MORE: ‘I was 99% sure I was going to continue with Ferrari’ says Sainz, as he admits ‘hurt’ at being replaced by Hamilton Having last driven a Grand Prix car nearly 20 years ago Sainz Snr spun the F1-75 initially but went on to put in several consistent laps His son also soon headed out on track in the car with which he claimed his first F1 win at the 2022 British Grand Prix The pair went on to do some laps in formation before then trying out the historic 735 LM which competed in the likes of the Mille Miglia and the Le Mans 24 Hours the Sainz family were joined by members of the Ferrari team – including Charles Leclerc and Team Principal Fred Vasseur – for a group photo providing a picture-perfect end to Sainz’s four-year stint with the Scuderia BEYOND THE GRID: Sainz on his Ferrari journey, losing his seat to Hamilton and preparing for the next chapter at Williams The man from Madrid first joined the Italian outfit back in 2021 following the departure of Sebastian Vettel and went on to beat team mate Leclerc in the drivers’ championship during that season Sainz and his father were joined by various members of the Ferrari team for their Fiorano track day From there he went on to score his first victory at Silverstone in 2022 which he followed up with a win at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix – making him the only non-Red Bull driver to stand on the top step in that season – as well as two triumphs in 2024 in Australia and Mexico City Sainz has also achieved a total of 25 podium finishes with Ferrari and 900.5 points in his 88 races for the squad READ MORE: ‘He’s demanding when he needs to be’ – Sainz’s former race engineer explains what Williams can expect from him With Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at the team in 2025 announced prior to this year’s campaign even getting under way Sainz was left looking for a new venture – and after months of speculation it was confirmed that he would join Williams next season to partner Alex Albon Verstappen labels Miami Grand Prix ‘a struggle’ after slipping back to P4 as he reflects on gap to McLaren VideoRACE START: Verstappen narrowly holds onto the lead in thrilling start to Miami GP Williams duo keen to 'play with strategies' as they target strong result in Miami after impressive Qualifying this will deter other fans from trying again on other occasions © DR / The tifosi in action around the Fiorano circuitThe facts Yesterday, one of the Ferrari fans present in large numbers at the Fiorano test circuit sawed down a tree that was obstructing the tifosi's view of the SF-25 in action The sawn tree was not the only one to have been destroyed around the circuit This one has seen several of its branches cut An article from the Gazzetta di Modena states that the impromptu lumberjack was identified by the local police « It is not yet possible to know how much the sanction will amount to » We can still hope that the fine will deter other fans from engaging in this kind of activity especially since the other tifosi around the man identified by the police were encouraging him they could have cut down the tree themselves You already have an account? Logged me in A verification email will be sent before to publish your comment. Never miss any breaking news thanks to the new Motors Inside newsletter. Receive important information instantly. By signing in, you accept the placement of a cookie in your browser to stay logged. It will not be use to track you or for advertisement purposes. Lewis Hamilton has completed his first test as a Ferrari driver at Fiorano as the seven-time World Champion’s preparations for the F1 2025 season step up Almost a year after his shock switch to Ferrari from Mercedes was announced Hamilton has linked up with his new employers for the first time this week ahead of the new season After a visit to the team’s Maranello factory on Monday, the 40-year-old took to the track for the first time at the team’s test Fiorano test track on Wednesday morning Hamilton was seen leaving the nearby house used as an office by legendary team founder Enzo Ferrari before walking the short distance to Ferrari’s garage facility at Fiorano Hamilton was carrying his new crash helmet for the F1 2025 season with the bright yellow colours a nod to the design he used during the earliest days of his illustrious career Hamilton emerged for the first time behind the wheel of the SF-23 the car driven in competition by team-mate Charles Leclerc and predecessor Carlos Sainz in 2023 Hamilton was seen waving from his new cockpit to the hundreds of fans in attendance at the circuit to witness his maiden Ferrari test in the flesh Hamilton completed a series of runs of around 10 laps each as well as a number of practice starts Hamilton is understood to have accumulated around 30 laps in total over the course of his introductory test the seven-time World Champion made his way over to the spectator areas to greet the Tifosi having received a warm reception from Ferrari’s hardcore fans since his arrival on Monday is expected to take over from Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon for his first on-track outing of 2025 The Fiorano test represents the first stage of a packed winter schedule for Hamilton ahead of his first season as a Ferrari driver Hamilton and Leclerc are expected to continue their F1 2025 preparations with a second private test next week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The drivers will then present Ferrari’s new livery at F1’s first-ever collective season-launch event in London before the team’s 2025 car – codenamed Project 677 – is officially launched the following day Leclerc and Hamilton are expected to conduct a brief shakedown with Project 677 – development of which has been overseen by Hamilton’s former Mercedes colleague Loic Serra – before an official F1 pre-season test is held in Bahrain across February 26-28 The drivers are then set to return to Italy to appear in a special event organised by Ferrari and new major sponsor Unicredit in early March before jetting off to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16 Read next: The last time an F1 icon tested for Ferrari: Hamilton follows in Vettel’s footsteps IBS Intelligence Financial Technology News & FinTech Research Three imperatives to manage the cost of compliance 10 steps for an effective core banking system selection Fast Followers: Winning Strategies in Banking’s AI Race Aligning Islamic Principles with Global Sustainability Goals FIDA Unleashed | Beyond Open Banking & Data Privacy Scale The Legacy Exit Strategy for Payment Modernization Building A SuperApp-Driven Banking Ecosystem Build Approach for Lending Origination Solutions FinTech insights exclusively State of the Market: Mid-Year 2021 IT Spending and Economic Fiorano has partnered with Yethi Consulting to expand its global presence a provider of digital transformation solutions for banks and financial services will work with Fiorano to enhance offerings in the sector equipping financial institutions with products to seamlessly offer open banking serving over 100 banks and financial institutions worldwide and JMS-based MQ solutions enable seamless banking modernisation The collaboration with Yethi Consulting brings vertical strengths and delivery capabilities to complement Fiorano’s offerings. Banks and financial institutions leverage Yethi’s expertise in payment modernisation offerings Quality Assurance and Test Automation solutions to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate digital transformation initiatives Yethi’s global presence across key financial markets aligns well with Fiorano’s growth strategy ensuring banks and financial institutions embrace robust “We are excited to partner with Yethi Consulting As banks accelerate their journey towards modernisation Fiorano’s cutting-edge event-driven integration technology combined with the API Management Platform will provide clients with a superior digital transformation experience,” said Rajesh Rao banks and financial institutions will benefit from a holistic approach to digital transformation—seamlessly integrating Fiorano’s high-performance platform and API solutions with Yethi’s advanced testing and validation capabilities and resilience in banking and payments ecosystems,” said Srirang Srikantha Stay updated with the latest Financial Technology news © IBS Intelligence and Cedar Management Consulting International In just a few hours, the SF-25 will take to the track for the first time on Ferrari’s home circuit, Fiorano. Ferrari will have a filming day to cover 200 kilometres of their 2025 challenger This week’s running will serve as preparation to ensure the team is ready for Bahrain testing when kilometre will matter ahead of the opening round a large audience is expected to follow the unveiling of the official SF-25 Tomorrow’s event will follow the social media posts Ferrari are set to release after the F175 event Enthusiasts who watch from the historic ‘bridge’ will be the first to see Charles Leclerc behind the wheel of the SF-25 His work program that will begin approximately at 9.30 in the morning (local time) the Monegasque will have the whole morning to complete his allocated 100km It will be an important chance for Leclerc to get up to speed in the SF-25 Charles Leclerc at Fiorano with the SF-23 in the TPC tests the mechanics on the track will change the SF-25’s seats and prepare everything perfectly so that Lewis Hamilton can take over from the Monegasque in the afternoon Hamilton will take to the track in the afternoon – where he will also complete 100km in the SF-25 This will be the first and only track time that drivers have before Bahrain testing begins their initial feedback and sensations are crucial will be to fine-tune the procedures and verify that everything is working correctly capturing initial driver feedback is essential there will be very limited data to gather in Fiorano That will come next week in pre-season testing which will follow the official Ferrari presentation which will be held via a video launched on the Scuderia’s social channels there is the presence on the track of F rederic Vasseur and the highest levels of the Maranello technical department who will then hold a customary press conference with the media – as the other teams will do on the sidelines of the presentation of F1-75 during this season The fourth round of the season will see the first update package for Ferrari this year The Scuderia's start to 2025 has been disappointing compared to their strong end to the 2024 championship Now the goal is to quickly get back on track and confirm the SF-25 has.. the FIA ​​had put into practice the first act of the updated TD018 to monitor rear wings with dedicated cameras and viewfinders The FIA has been monitoring of the wing deflections since the end of 2024 The F1 world championship starts this weekend with Bahrain testing yet to clarify the pecking order observers are in agreement that McLaren are the favourites The question is: who will be their closest challenger There is some uncertainty even among the.. 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For more details, please review our Privacy Policy Charles Leclerc has given the Ferrari SF-25 Formula 1 car its first run as the new car hit the track at Fiorano on Wednesday morning The new livery and renders of the design were unveiled as part of F1's 75th anniversary launch event at the O2 in London on Tuesday and now the actual car Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will use in 2025 has completed its first shakedown laps at Ferrari's famous test track Hitting the track for the first time 👊 The SF-25 makes its debut in Fiorano! pic.twitter.com/Mnks5EcLrv The car is 99% new this year according to team principal Fred Vasseur and features pullrod front suspension to open up more opportunities for development and to improve airflow around the front of the car Leclerc waved to fans while circulating the Fiorano track with pictures emerging of fans stood behind foliage and fences and even pyrotechnics being set off ahead of what is Ferrari's most anticipated F1 season for some time with Hamilton's arrival Read more: Gary Anderson's take on the "99% new" Ferrari Please accept marketing cookies to enable YouTube videos Lewis Hamilton described his first experience behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car as "one of the best feelings of my life" after making his track debut with his new team in Maranello Hamilton completed 30 laps of Ferrari's Fiorano test track in front of a gathering of fans watching from the nearby Giardini overpass Although the day started in thick fog and wet conditions, Hamilton said the experience was unlike any other in his F1 career. "I've been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career 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," he said "When I started the car up and drove through that garage door Driving a 2-year-old car to comply with F1's testing regulations Hamilton left the garage for the first time at 9:16 a.m local time for a single installation lap on wet tyres Lewis Hamilton made his track debut for Ferrari on Wednesday. Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesHamilton was sporting a yellow helmet for the occasion -- the same colour he used in the early stages of his F1 career were present in the garage and were later joined by Piero Ferrari Hamilton switched to slick tyres and completed flying laps practice starts and system checks in the SF-23 car Ferrari limited his mileage to 89 kilometers wary of a new rule for 2025 that restricts testing of previous cars (TPC) to 1,000 km per year for drivers taking part in the championship Hamilton is expected to return to action in a 2-year-old car at the Circuit de Catalunya later this month Hamilton completed a post-session debrief with his new engineering team Adami is essentially staying in his role after engineering Carlos Sainz the seven-time champion walked out to the track to wave to fans who had come to witness his first laps in a Ferrari "I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is from everyone in the team to the Tifosi!" Hamilton said "But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring 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." Hamilton's new teammate Charles Leclerc was also present at the test day and completed 14 laps in the same car Team principal Fred Vasseur said his team achieved its objective for the day despite the wet weather and limited running especially today as it was Lewis' first day as part of the team," he said "Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment 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," Vasseur continued "It was also a warmup for the team in the garage Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari Formula 1 car will break cover on February 19 a day after the sport’s inaugural season launch at London’s The O2 to mark its 75th anniversary Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur revealed the date during the Italian team’s annual Christmas media event this year held at their Fiorano test track EXPLAINED: Everything you need to know about the 2025 season launch event at London’s The O2 Vasseur also confirmed the team will run the 2025 car on February 19 but did not give any more details as to who will drive nor any information about what the launch will look like Ferrari will head straight to Bahrain for three days of testing which begins on February 26 at the Bahrain International Circuit Hamilton and new team mate Charles Leclerc will get one and a half days of running between them at the desert venue before the season opener in Melbourne Seven-time world champion Hamilton will join Ferrari at the start of the next year – though the team are being guarded about his exact start date and induction plan Vasseur did however confirm he’ll have some running in Ferrari machinery before Bahrain to help him get comfortable with his new surroundings “We will have a couple of test days with TPC [testing of previous cars] and Pirelli [tyre test running] before Bahrain,” Vasseur told F1.com you have launch of the car on Feb 19 – and then we are going directly to Bahrain for the first test and to Melbourne He [Hamilton] is coming with experience of this He did almost 20 seasons in F1 – and he will manage perfectly this period.” READ MORE: Ferrari give Sainz and his rally champion father special send-off with F1 track day at Fiorano when speaking to the media at Fiorano: “We know that we will have a lot of procedures to assimilate during these couple of days but I think he is experienced enough to do it We’ll have the advantage to have the simulator “Obviously he will be able to do a race simulation and to be fully prepared with the steering wheel and the particularities of the race Ferrari, meanwhile, signed off current driver Carlos Sainz’s time with the squad with an F1 track day at their Fiorano test circuit for Sainz and his two-time World Rally Championship-winning father Ferrari have released Lewis Hamilton’s first team radio message in rare footage from his debut test with the team at Fiorano Almost a year after his move from Mercedes was announced Hamilton took to the track for the first time as a Ferrari driver earlier this week The seven-time World Champion completed 30 laps behind the wheel of the SF-23 the car driven in competition by new team-mate Charles Leclerc and predecessor Carlos Sainz during the 2023 season Reports from Fiorano have claimed that Hamilton acquitted himself well on his Ferrari debut requesting only a few modifications to the steering wheel after fears that he would insist on sticking with the controls he had memorised at Mercedes Hamilton’s initial bond with new race engineer Riccardo Adami who previously worked with Sainz and four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel was also described as ‘positive’ it has been suggested that Hamilton struggled with the pedals of the SF-23 resulting in a couple of mistakes as he sought to up his pace Hamilton is said to have tried various adjustments to the pedals at Fiorano without finding a comfortable solution with Ferrari planning a fix ahead of their second TPC (Testing of Previous Car) test of the winter in Barcelona next week Ferrari is under no obligation to publish Hamilton’s lap times from the private test at Fiorano the team have offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the seven-time World Champion’s maiden outing by releasing rare footage of Hamilton’s first team radio message as a Ferrari driver Adami is heard making sure that the team radio is working with Hamilton unable to contain his emotions after his first run in a Ferrari In a statement published hours after his first test Hamilton described his on-track debut for Ferrari as “one of the best feelings of my life.” He said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career “When I started the car up and drove through that garage door “I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is “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.” Thank you to the Tifosi and everyone at Ferrari for the warm welcome.” Hamilton is set to participate in two further private runs before the start of official F1 pre-season testing next month Ferrari is to stage a second TPC test with the SF-23 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Hamilton and Leclerc are expected to arrive in Barcelona on Monday with the team planning to set up at the track this weekend The Scuderia will remain in Barcelona for a two-day Pirelli tyre test on February 4-5 when Hamilton will get a rare opportunity to test the team’s 2024 car only cars older than two years can be used for TPC tests in order to prevent competitors from gaining a competitive advantage for the current season Ferrari will be allowed to run a so-called mule car – effectively a heavily adapted version of the 2024 chassis – to assist Pirelli’s development of the new tyres for the F1 2026 season The mule car will simulate the downforce and performance levels of the radically different F1 cars expected for 2026 which will see a move to 50 per cent electrification and the introduction of active aerodynamics As well as sweeping changes to the chassis and engines the new rules for F1 2026 will also see the tread of the tyres will be reduced by 25 millimetres at the front and 30mm at the rear It is common for teams to produce mule cars to assist tyre development ahead of major rule changes with Ferrari previously fielding a revised version of their 2015 car in 2016 ahead of the following year’s regulation changes The mule version of the SF15-T featured a larger rear wing and skirts in an attempt to simulate the increased downforce of the new cars for 2017 Read next: Carlos Sainz Sr breaks silence after Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut Lewis Hamilton completed his first laps in Ferrari's new 2025 car on Wednesday as the seven-time Formula 1 world champion continued his preparation for a huge season in red had already driven some of Ferrari's older machines leading up to the Maranello shakedown but Wednesday provided crucial track time in the car he hopes will propel him to a record-breaking eighth title Hamilton and new teammate Charles Leclerc both completed laps around Fiorano Ferrari's test circuit next to their iconic factory a day after the SF-25 was officially launched in London with Ferrari having 200km of shakedown to use under filming day regulations Hamilton, 40, had initially driven in a 2022 Ferrari at Fiorano in January before taking a 2023 car for a spin in Barcelona during a three-day private test where he also crashed. while the season-opening Australian Grand Prix is on March 16-18 Lewis Hamilton has counted his maiden Ferrari test among his greatest moments Lewis Hamilton expressed that his debut outing in a Ferrari Formula 1 car was “one of the best feelings of my life” as he completed 30 laps at the team’s Fiorano track Hamilton’s maiden appearance commanded mass attention as spectators the media and photographers alike all lined the vantage points that surround the venue sporting a yellow helmet design with red accents that he unveiled earlier ventured onto the circuit in Ferrari’s 2023 car with his iconic 44 number at 9:16 am which won a single race through Hamilton’s predecessor Carlos Sainz is the latest machine at Ferrari’s disposal under the Testing of Previous Cars [TPC] scheme The damp asphalt meant Hamilton navigated his first tour at a tentative pace taking the chance to wave to those who had come to see his historic moment in person Hamilton then retreated to the garage where the routine car checks took place but he remained in the cockpit and instead spoke to his race engineer Riccardo Adami This occurred with some of his close ones in attendance along with Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur and his Deputy Jerome D’Ambrosio The track had dried once Hamilton embarked upon his next run plan giving him an opening to use the Hard compound and push the car more than he had done before Hamilton was photographed locking up and going wide on one lap indicating the cold temperatures contributed to there being minimal grip on the white-walled rubber The seven-time F1 champion underwent one last five-lap stint to end his run and then headed down towards the overpass where most people spectating had been stationed Despite his total lap count amounting to 89 kilometres in a previous car Hamilton would’ve at least been able to get to grips with the characteristics of Ferrari machinery And while he has notched seven Drivers’ titles and a record 105 victories Hamilton counted his first laps with Ferrari among his greatest moments in his racing endeavours “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career was one of the best feelings of my life,” Hamilton said “But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week who had been in meetings during his new team-mate’s inaugural run was limited to 14 laps in more adverse conditions as drizzle replaced the fog The Monegasque being well-versed in the SF-22’s nuances had seen him be scheduled to undergo an alternative programme Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur added: “As is the case every year Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment “Maybe today was less special for Charles 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 Ferrari hasn’t announced Hamilton’s next outing but it is expected that he and the team will go to Barcelona – a conventional track – prior to pre-season testing next month READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton conducts debut Ferrari F1 outing at Fiorano and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar Click here for full Drivers’ Standings Two days after arriving at Maranello for his first meeting with the team Lewis Hamilton has undertaken his first test behind the wheel of a Scuderia Ferrari machine Take a look back through our live blog from the Fiorano test track Lewis Hamilton will receive his first taste of Ferrari Formula 1 machinery next week following his move from Mercedes for the F1 2025 season The seven-time World Champion will take to the team’s Fiorano test track behind the wheel of the F1-75 the team’s race-winning car from 2022 This article was originally published on January 15 2025 The F1-75 was Ferrari’s first attempt under F1’s new ground-effect regulations introduced at the beginning of the 2022 season with its name a nod to the 75th anniversary of the first Ferrari production car defined by its unique ‘bathtub’-shaped sidepods and piloted by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz marked a welcome return to form for the Scuderia after a disappointing couple of seasons in 2020/21 The F1-75 was among the cars to suffer most heavily from the porpoising phenomenon generated by the ground-effect cars with Hamilton himself complaining of a similar sensation at Mercedes throughout 2022 👉 Revealed: The remarkable 36-hour timeline behind Lewis Hamilton’s shock Ferrari move The car delivered Ferrari’s first victory in two-and-a-half years at the first time of asking at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as Leclerc converted pole position into a fine victory Sainz crossed the line to seal a one-two finish after the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both retired in the closing laps in Sakhir Running a smaller turbo than their competitors the Ferrari’s traction out of slow corners packed a punch in 2022 as Red Bull struggled with an overweight car After finishing a close second to Verstappen at the second race in Saudi Arabia Leclerc again dominated from pole position in Australia to open up a lead of 46 points over Verstappen who suffered his second DNF in three races in Melbourne It was after Australia that the season started to turn Leclerc dropping to sixth after a late spin in the wet at the next race at Imola Worse was to come two races later in Spain where he retired while comfortably in the lead with an engine problem Sainz was in the midst of what would prove to be the worst run of his Ferrari career retiring early in Australia and crashing out of qualifying in Emilia Romagna before another off-track excursion during his home race in Spain Just three races after trailing Leclerc by a margin worth almost two race wins Verstappen was back on top of the Drivers’ standings after inheriting the victory in Barcelona he has remained at the top of the World Championship ever since never losing the lead of the standings since May 2022 Leclerc looked on course for some much-needed respite in Monaco where he led the early laps comfortably in treacherous conditions his race turned upside down with a chaotic pit stop by the Ferrari crew – the first of many in 2022 – as he slipped to a disappointing fourth at the chequered flag More disappointment came at the next race in Baku where he once again retired from a promising position with an engine failure That proved to be a turning point for Ferrari who competed for the rest of the season with the engine turned down to prevent further reliability disasters It did not stop Sainz from collecting his maiden F1 victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone – the 2025 Williams driver was reunited with the F1-75 for a special ‘farewell’ test alongside his father at Fiorano in December 2024 – with Leclerc collecting another win a week later in Austria as the Red Bull’s pace mysteriously deserted Verstappen Leclerc’s title hopes suffered a fatal blow when he crashed out of the next race in France while pushing to make time on Verstappen during the pit stops 👉 Ferrari biography Verstappen reeled off a stunning run of eight wins across the following nine races memorably overcoming a penalty to win from 14th on the grid at Spa He would seal his second World Championship with four races to spare in a rain-affected race in Suzuka as Ferrari’s challenge faded away Verstappen ending the season with a record 15 wins – a tally he would surpass the following year Leclerc did not come close to adding another win to his collection in 2022 though a streak of podium finishes – six podiums in the final eight races including five in a row between Zandvoort and Austin – were a reminder of the inherent pace of the car He did at least salvage second place in the Drivers’ Championship seeing off Perez by three points at the season finale in Abu Dhabi the way Ferrari’s season faltered so dramatically was deemed unsatisfactory inside Maranello resulting in team principal Mattia Binotto leaving the team after a stint of almost 30 years Binotto resigned from his role shortly after the final race with Fred Vasseur installed as his successor weeks later having overseen Sauber’s most productive season since 2012 guiding the Swiss-based team (then Alfa Romeo) to sixth place in the Constructors’ standings The F1-75 would form the basis for the SF-23 of 2023 which became the only car other than the Red Bull to win a race that season as Sainz triumphed in Singapore Did Ferrari ever fully exploit the 2022 car’s potential Or was it flattered slightly by Red Bull’s poor start to the season its true place in the competitive order only becoming clear once Ferrari’s rivals had sorted themselves out The debate over the F1-75 rages to this day but it is undeniable that it played an important part in bringing Ferrari back into race-winning contention and bringing fresh hope to the team And when Hamilton lowers himself into its cockpit for his first test as a Ferrari driver the car’s unique place in the team’s history will be sealed Read next: Four reasons why Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari makes so much sense All teams are obliged to showcase their 2025 liveries in London on February 18th it is unlikely many teams will reveal any aspects of their 2025 challenger at this show teams are expected to keep their cards close to their chest before pre-season testing As already anticipated on AutoRacer, Ferrari will have a new livery this year – featuring a darker red paint The latest car from Maranello will return to the mixed tones shown on the F1-75 and the F2008 The Scuderia’s top brass have opted for continuity with their 2025 launch. More or less like 2024, the SF-25 should be unveiled on the morning of February 19th through Ferrari’s official channels Ferrari’s personnel are working flat out to ensure everything is in place: “Being perfectly ready for the pre-season tests after the winter shutdown is always a challenge,” explains Fred Vasseur the SF-25 should carry out a 200km filming day on the same day (67 laps in total) that will accompany the official presentation of the car Both drivers will alternate at the wheel of the new Ferrari dividing the day and lapping for 100km each Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will therefore go to Fiorano after TPC testing in Barcelona both drivers completed laps in the SF-24 for the 2026 Pirelli tire tests Ferrari’s running plan will mean that both drivers have spent time in the team’s 2023 Several teams are scheduled to have a filming day in Bahrain on February 25th but there could be other teams looking to capitalize on a chance for track time right before pre-season tests Teams will work diligently to learn quickly about how to optimize set-up at a range of low and high-speed corners Many teams have given up on the traditional plan of having filming days ‘at home’ will stick to tradition – preparing for a Fiorano run before going to Bahrain for pre-season testing The seven-time world champion officially began his tenure with Ferrari on Monday at their iconic Maranello base following his departure from Mercedes after 12 years stunned the F1 paddock as he left behind a record-breaking partnership with Mercedes to join Ferrari in what is widely regarded as the most high-profile transfer in the sport’s history Hamilton took to the track in Ferrari’s 2023 car The session marked his first opportunity to familiarise himself with the team’s operations and the nuances of Ferrari machinery Ferrari had already released a photo of Hamilton in the team’s signature red race suit on Tuesday evening they shared an image of his new helmet on social media building anticipation for the British driver’s maiden laps in the iconic car holds an unmatched record of 105 Grand Prix victories and shares the joint-best tally of seven world championships with Michael Schumacher His move unites the most successful driver in F1 history with Ferrari boasting 15 drivers’ and 16 constructors’ championships Ferrari has endured a title drought since their last constructors’ triumph in 2008 a resurgent end to the 2024 season saw them finish just 14 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ standings With pre-season testing for the 2025 season scheduled for Bahrain from February 26-28 teams are prohibited from running their latest cars until then F1 regulations permit teams to use cars from previous seasons under the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rule This provision allowed Ferrari to run their 2023 car giving Hamilton an early opportunity to acclimatise to their working practices and experience a Ferrari power unit for the first time Hamilton’s entire F1 career—spanning 18 seasons—has been powered by Mercedes engines first with McLaren and later with the Mercedes works team current race drivers are limited to a maximum of 1,000km of running across four days throughout the calendar year Ferrari opted to utilise one of their permitted TPC days at Fiorano for Hamilton’s debut Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur hinted before Christmas that Hamilton could also feature in Pirelli’s tyre tests These additional sessions could provide further track time for the British driver as he integrates into his new team ahead of the upcoming season Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has generated immense excitement with fans and pundits eagerly anticipating how this blockbuster partnership will unfold in 2025 and beyond Lewis Hamilton takes his first lap in a Ferrari! pic.twitter.com/LCOws2haSn — Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 22, 2025 Not since Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari debut in November 1995 has so much of the world’s attention been focused on the Fiorano circuit as it was this past Wednesday This time it was to document and cheer the arrival of another F1 World Champion who has joined Ferrari with an eye to breaking his tie with Schumacher was in action at Ferrari’s private track on Wednesday morning as he laid down the laps in an SF-23 Different car, different times, but Ferrari were quick to note one similarity – the weather Hamilton’s run took place in thick fog and ‘coincidentally’ ‘fog was also a factor on 16 November 1995 who would go on to be a seven-time World Champion That day Ferrari revealed the German had amassed 20 laps in a Ferrari 412 T2 while on Wednesday No official times were released for either outing It is, however, being claimed by Autocar that Hamilton’s lap times were ‘1 minute per lap’ as the former Mercedes driver dealt with fog light rain and ‘some small errors’ 👉 What next for Lewis Hamilton? Second Ferrari test booked and more key dates 👉 Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari: The right move at the wrong time? That’s some four seconds down on the track record that belongs to Schumacher Leclerc’s fastest time at the Ferrari track is a reported 57.6s But he was also off the pace on Wednesday with a 1:06 in the afternoon The times have not been confirmed by Ferrari Hamilton says driving a Ferrari F1 car was “one of the best feelings” of his life was one of the best feelings of my life,” he said “It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car feeling those emotions all over again.” Read next: Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer finally confirmed in Ferrari statement Lewis Hamilton has labelled his Ferrari Formula 1 testing debut "one of the best feelings of my life" after completing 30 laps at Fiorano Having spent two days getting up to speed with his new team in Maranello Hamilton boarded the 2023 Ferrari SF-23 on a cold and foggy morning at the Scuderia's private test track for his first laps in a Ferrari F1 car hundreds of Italian fans lined the track to witness Ferrari's star signing completing 30 laps in damp conditions The 40-year-old's Ferrari debut remained trouble-free other than a few lock-ups in the chicane on a stone-cold and damp circuit After handing the Ferrari over to his new team-mate Charles Leclerc in the afternoon Hamilton said he was overjoyed by his first day in red "I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had," Hamilton said "But driving a Scuderia Ferrari car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life Hamilton went out of his way to greet the tifosi at the edge of the track after his test run was completed and said he was "energised" by their famed passion from everyone in the team to the tifosi," the seven-time world champion said "But to now witness it first-hand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring "That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started." In the afternoon Leclerc completed 14 laps as the Monegasque also got his 2025 campaign under way The test took place under the watchful eye of Ferrari vice president Piero Ferrari with Hamilton's mother also travelling to Fiorano for the occasion The Ferrari SF-25, an evolution of last year’s car, ran at the Fiorano test track — with crowds of fans seeking a glimpse — after the F1 75 LIVE livery launch in London on Tuesday along with the other nine teams with Tifosi lining the fences of the Scuderia’s very own test track a stone’s throw from their Maranello HQ Leclerc told reporters: “We drove the car today and I can see the craziness around the track and that’s amazing to see.” Ferrari will be chasing their first Formula 1 world title since 2008 when they were F1 constructors’ champions in what could be an even closer season than last year when they were runners-up to McLaren Pre-season testing starts in Bahrain next week with the opening race in Australia on March 16 Hamilton said on Wednesday: “Today is a huge day for me,” said Hamilton in a video released to coincide with the launch I think when I got here I realised just how much I needed it and how great it felt “We’re literally walking around with a smile, such a big smile on my face every day I come to work, it’s very revitalising,” added the 40-year-old, who this year is in his 19th season in Formula 1 Lewis and the tifosi pic.twitter.com/z3tmwqHPAr — Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025 Hamilton started out at Maranello last month by shaking hands with every employee maintaining his signature iron-hard grip through the day and with some 1,500 people across all departments He has moved his mobile home next to the house of late team founder Enzo at Fiorano and has been starting the day with a run around the track before activities around the factory and in the simulator: “We’ve been here until 10pm at night and it’s like no one wants to go home “Everyone’s just so dedicated and we have such a steep learning curve to come across together so I anticipated obviously that was going to be tough but we’re working towards something really exciting,” declared Hamilton The Briton is also reunited with long-term trainer and physio Angela Cullen has kept the Ferrari chef busy with vegan requirements and is learning Italian — expressing himself tentatively Team boss Fred Vasseur said the drivers were getting on well: “At this part of the season ?The most important thing is to keep this relationship, to continue to work as a team and to push as a team. But I’m quite confident,” reckoned Vasseur, who starts his third F1 season as Ferrari boss.  (Reporting by Alan Baldwin) Think of the most famous tracks in the world: Spa it’s fairly obvious that if a circuit is going to enter motor sporting legend it needs to be have two qualities be an absolutely brilliant driver’s track and to have held some pretty senior motor races over time barely any less well known track which has never hosted so much as a ten lap club race let alone a Grand Prix A track on which only one make of car has ever been allowed to run A track that wouldn’t feature in anyone’s top 20 great circuits from a driver’s perspective up there among the most well-known of them all I can name quite a few tracks around the world that manufacturers use for testing their products but only because it’s part of my job the famed Porsche facility just outside Stuttgart but I bet no driver ever got the butterflies before their first lap at any of these like they did the first time they ever drove out of the tiny pits at Fiorano It’s not because Fiorano is a forboding place the kind of place you tell someone where to find your car keys just in case you’re not going to need them again it’s where just about every Ferrari road and racing car have done their first laps as speeds have risen its tight confines have proven limiting which is why Ferrari bought Mugello in 1988 but it scarcely matters: think of all those Ferrari drivers of the last half century who first climbed into a scarlet right here: Lauda Think of all those legendary road cars that first turned a wheel in anger here: Boxer I’ve been lucky enough to have driven it with reasonable frequency for over 30 years Goodness knows how many laps I’ve done The track is laid out in a figure of eight configuration like Suzuka so as best to make use of the available space There are some parts where you can let your inner hooligan loose – there’s a hairpin where we do all those smoky cornering shots and a reasonable straight on which something quick might reach perhaps 150-160mph But actually most of it is really technical Once you’ve negotiated turn one there’s a host of other corners all feeding into each other in such a way that a small mistake on turn in to the first is amplified all the way until it turns into a colossal error at the exit of the last There’s a nasty compression as you’re on the brakes and wanting to turn right onto the bridge that forms the overpass and cheeky bump on the blind crest that takes you onto the top of the bridge that I’ve only recently started to notice as the cars I’ve been driving have hit it ever harder and faster It’ll get your attention in a 740PS (544kW) F12 but in a 943PS (694kW) LaFerrari it feels like you’ve left the ground.  There’s a blind entry to the corner that takes you off the bridge and down the hairpin a big slide just to see how well the latest generation of Ferrari’s SSC (Side Slip Control) is working the only genuinely quick corner on the track where you can be greedy with the kerb on the inside but need to watch overshooting on the exit One more tight left turn and you’re hammering back down the straight towards turn one once more but there is still something about it that makes me love going there Partly it’s because I know I have to be on top of my game: Ferrari rarely gives you more than five laps so there’s no time to test out all the various modes traction control off from lap one because you’ll never find out how the car really handles on the ragged edge if you don’t It’s because this is the only place Enzo saw his beloved racing cars being driven in the latter part of his life He’d long since stopped going to Grands Prix but he’d sit in his office at Fiorano and hear and see his latest creations doing their thing There is a magic about this place and called me a soppy old twit And you’ll have to say the same to Lewis because it was here this week that he drove a Ferrari F1 car for the first time ‘When I started the car up and drove through that garage door feeling those emotions all over again.’ It seems he’s got it bad Tuesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes the police being on standby ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut and a move for F1 presenter and Drive to Survive favourite Will Buxton Let’s dive straight into the day’s main F1 headlines… Italian police are on alert ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari test as F1 mania sweeps the nation Hamilton is set to make his on-track debut for Ferrari at the team’s Fiorano test track next week following his massive move from Mercedes for the F1 2025 season The sight of the seven-time World Champion in a Ferrari F1 car for the first time is set to draw an enormous crowd Read more: Lewis Hamilton’s test set to cause chaos at Ferrari HQ Popular F1 presenter Will Buxton will be covering IndyCar for FOX from the 2025 season Buxton has been a fixture in the Formula 1 paddock for well over a decade with his profile rising further through his appearances on the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive Read more: Will Buxton makes FOX IndyCar move as F1 exit confirmed Alpine have been tipped to strike deals with a number of key Sergio Perez sponsors following the signing of Franco Colapinto from Williams for the F1 2025 season It comes amid claims that the Enstone-based team paid a fee of €20million (£16.58m/$20.50m) to sign Colapinto as the team’s new reserve driver Colapinto has attracted a huge following in his homeland of Argentina after his Williams cameo in the second half of F1 2024 Read more: Alpine discover Sergio Perez ‘goldmine’ as €20m Colapinto fee emerges Red Bull driver Liam Lawson says he did not mean to “p*** off” Fernando Alonso following their row at last year’s United States Grand Prix Alonso took exception to Lawson’s defensive tactics during the sprint race in Austin criticising the youngster over team radio before confronting Lawson in parc ferme after the race Lawson went on to incur the wrath of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz at the next race in Mexico Read more: Liam Lawson’s message to Fernando Alonso after sudden US GP feud Max Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes for the F1 2026 season who would Red Bull target as his replacement And how would it shake up the rest of the F1 grid We’ve tried to predict the domino effect if Verstappen pulls the pin with Lando Norris and George Russell on the move Read more: How Max Verstappen to Mercedes could shake up F1 2026 driver market Lewis Hamilton was hamstrung by problems with the pedals during his first test with Ferrari this week almost resulting in an embarrassing moment at Fiorano Hamilton linked up with Ferrari for the first time this week following his lucrative move from Mercedes for the F1 2025 season meeting his new colleagues at the team’s Maranello factory The seven-time World Champion’s visit culminated in his first on-track outing behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car on Wednesday Hamilton completed 30 laps (roughly 89 kilometres) with the team’s 2023 car Members of the 40-year-old’s family were in attendance with the F1 icon later taking time to greet hundreds of Ferrari’s hardcore fans who had flocked to the circuit to witness Hamilton’s debut test Hamilton’s new team-mate Charles Leclerc who is entering his seventh full season at Ferrari took over the SF-23 in the afternoon session With the Fiorano outing classed as a private TPC [Testing of Previous Car] test Ferrari have not released any details regarding Hamilton’s lap times a report by the Italian edition of Motorsport.com has revealed that his first Ferrari debut was not entirely trouble free as the car’s pedals proved an area of discomfort It is said that Hamilton tried various adjustments to the pedals throughout the test without finding a solution with his discomfort resulting in a couple of mistakes Hamilton reportedly locked his brakes at the first corner and the hairpin when he tried to up his pace twice coming close to running into the gravel run-off areas Ferrari are expected to resolve the issue with the pedals ahead of the team’s second private test of the winter at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The report adds that Hamilton adapted almost seamlessly to the Ferrari steering wheel after an 11-year stint with Mercedes requesting just a few modifications after concerns that he would insist on sticking with the controls and functions he had memorised at his previous team who previously worked with Carlos Sainz and four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel Comfort in the cockpit appears to be key to Hamilton’s hopes at Ferrari having complained of a variety of issues across his final years as a Mercedes driver After struggling with porpoising throughout the first year of the current ground-effect rules in 2022 cockpit positioning proved to be a major irritation for Hamilton in 2023 as he complained of being sat too close to the front wheels Speaking at that year’s Australian Grand Prix Hamilton described the sensation of sitting too close to the front as “one of the worst feelings” behind the wheel He said: “We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you’re driving a car and you put the wheels right underneath your legs you would not be happy when you’re approaching the roundabout “It just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement and it makes it harder to predict compared to when you’re further back and you’re sitting closer “It’s just something I’ve really struggled with.” Reports earlier this month claimed that Ferrari have moved the cockpit of their car – development of which is being led by Hamilton’s former Mercedes colleague Loic Serra – further back for F1 2025 who joined Ferrari as chassis technical director last year is understood to be particularly close to Hamilton having shared the driver’s concerns over the zero-pod design concept pursued by Mercedes in 2022/23 Despite the pre-existing relationship between driver and engineer it is unclear if Hamilton’s arrival has had any direct influence on Ferrari’s decision to alter the car’s seating position ahead of the new season Hamilton issued a short statement after his Ferrari test debut on Wednesday revealing that he had “the biggest smile on my face” when he took to the track for the first time He said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career Read next: Ferrari ‘erasing Lewis Hamilton’s memory’ as extreme simulator details emerge Never mind that elusive eighth World title this year Lewis Hamilton is chasing the “ultimate achievement” in Formula 1: a World Championship with Ferrari Almost 12 months after announcing he would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari Hamilton’s stint with the Scuderia has begun in earnest The Briton kicked off Hamilton week with a day at the team’s Maranello headquarters on Monday where he met with team personnel including team principal Fred Vasseur drove the simulator and signed a few autographs Tuesday was more of the same with meetings before the fun stuff started on Wednesday morning with his first laps in the SF23 at the Fiorano circuit In misty conditions, more than a thousand Tifosi gathered to watch his debut run and the seven-time World Champion didn’t disappoint as he waved to the crowd on his first lap in a Ferrari F1 car 👉 The last time an F1 icon tested for Ferrari: Hamilton follows in Vettel’s footsteps 👉 The one piece of criticism you could never aim at Lewis Hamilton Sky F1 pundit Craig Slater revealed Hamilton’s family was on hand to watch the emotional opening lap “It’s a family affair for Lewis Hamilton today,” he said and I understand his mother Carmen as well So a lot of emotion on the track for him today “But his team boss Fred Vasseur says he wants the emotion just to be for one lap because this is strictly about business.” “In this final phase of his career,” he added “no question Lewis Hamilton means business.” That business first and foremost is winning a World title in red Ferrari last won the Drivers’ Championship title with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and while there have been near misses with Fernando Alonso Sebastian Vettel and even a runner-up for Charles Leclerc nothing short of P1 is acceptable for the Italian stable and their Tifosi Should Hamilton break the Scuderia’s duck it would not only cement his name in history as the driver with the most World titles “This is the historic first lap of Lewis Hamilton in the red Ferrari car – 105 victories seven World Championships – he’s 40 years of age now,” he said “Can he complete what he hopes to describe as the masterpiece of his career with an eighth championship there’s more than 1,000 Ferrari fans I can’t quite see the entire number that have gathered around here to catch this first glimpse of Lewis in the red car “Hamilton looking to follow Mike Hawthorn “Many great drivers have come to this team hoping they could emulate the likes of Fangio and Schumacher and make themselves not just a great World Champion the ultimate achievement in this sport.” Hamilton is running in Ferrari’s 2023 car as per F1’s Testing Previous Car protocols But while that’s not the car that he’ll race this season the outing gives him an opportunity to familiarise himself with Ferrari and their procedures The current car will be an evolution of this one so it will be useful for Hamilton to get a feel of what Ferrari’s power is like he’s driven a Mercedes-powered car for his entire F1 career “He’ll be able to feedback on how his seat feels – he would have had that seat fitting just a few days earlier Just the general feel of the brakes in what are certainly very unrepresentative conditions here He isn’t using racing Formula 1 tyres but academy tyres that are inferior in performance But he’ll get a few impressions today which will enable him to interface with his engineers and the rest of the team.” Read next: Iconic Lewis Hamilton post beats Charles Leclerc in new record Lewis Hamilton said it is “hard to believe” that he just got behind the wheel of his first Ferrari F1 challenger after the SF-25 made its track debut at Fiorano Hamilton has already been pumping in the laps at the wheel of Ferrari machinery sampling the SF-23 in private TPC [testing of previous car] outings and an adapted SF-24 for Pirelli tyre testing duties Hamilton finally got his first taste of the Ferrari car which he takes into battle in F1 2025 After new team-mate Charles Leclerc had the honour of driving the Ferrari SF-25 out at Fiorano for its first laps – completing around 30 it is believed – Hamilton took over at the wheel for the afternoon session with filming day regulations placing a 200km limit on the running Ferrari launched their SF-25 hot off the heels of the F1 75 event in London on Tuesday where the new liveries for all 10 teams were revealed Hamilton was asked by Sky Italy for his first debrief on Ferrari’s new challenger “It’s my first Ferrari and it’s hard to believe I am living every moment intensely.” Hamilton was also asked how he is finding early life as team-mate to Leclerc the Monegasque driver – a product of the Ferrari Driver Academy – gearing up for his seventh season with the team “It’s great to work with Leclerc but we already had things in common,” Hamilton revealed “I’m starting to learn how he works and I’m doing my best to find the best feeling with the team.” The process of getting to grips with Ferrari machinery did produce one bump in the road for Hamilton who suffered a crash at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – home of the Spanish Grand Prix – during a three-day Ferrari TPC test And it was an incident which he made a light-hearted reference to in his first public acknowledgement of it “I’ve enjoyed the testing that we’ve had,” Hamilton said at the SF-25 launch “I’ve had to find the limits of the car as quick as possible because I only have a handful of days – and I definitely did that “There’s still a long road ahead of us and a lot of challenges but I think we’ve covered as much as we could possibly cover in the small time we’ve had so far.” Read next – Ferrari SF-25 analysis: Worst-kept secret not the only big change as Ferrari aim high This week it was announced that a Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale had achieved the fastest ever lap of Fiorano by a road car the 1030-cv car - driven by Ferrari’s Head of Development Test Driving Raffaele de Simone - hit a lap time of 1’17.309” Equipped with lightweight carbon fibre wheels and Michelin Cup2R tyres the time was 1.4” faster than the time set by the original car which was equipped with the Assetto Fiorano package and the same tyres the test was conducted during the SF90 Stradale media launch test drives with members of the international press watching on Engineers were quizzed by journalists about how the car had been developed and prepared while the record time was being set out on Fiorano’s track Ferrari’s XX programme was launched back in 2005 to provide the maximum driving experience to exclusive customers of the Prancing Horse with lucky owners getting the opportunity to take part in six annual exclusive track days across the world New technologies and solutions were tested on the FXX FXX K and 599XX that Ferrari would then apply in future years to its series models all of Ferrari’s previous XX models were limited to track use only this has now changed with both the SF90 XX Stradale and SF90 XX Spider convertible road legal About 1,400 were produced and already snapped up by loyal Ferrari customers The SF90 XX Stradale will be on display at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from 15 December with an exhibition corner containing information and insights into the car and the record.  Words: Mike BoothPictures: Ferrari North Europe Driven & The Driven PodcastAn Automotive Media & Production Company Powered by Paramex Digital and the driven logo are registered trademarks of Paramex Digital Limited Other brands or product names featured on this website or associated media outputs are the trademarks of their owners respectively Recent reports suggested the seven time world champion will be in the simulator at Ferrari's Italian HQ on Monday before making his track debut at the adjacent Fiorano test track in a 2022 red single seater in the days to follow Vigna said as a new sponsor deal with Italian bank Unicredit was introduced The Unicredit sponsorship replaces the deal with Spanish bank Santander which has followed Carlos Sainz to Williams Vigna said: It is a partnership that we wanted to announce shortly before Hamilton's arrival placing people at the centre of our companies and the communities that gravitate around us there have been reports that local police are expecting a huge influx of fans to the area There is a lot of excitement and a great desire to get started Vigna explained that he had been personally inspired by Hamilton's motivation to change Formula 1 teams he got back into the game and embraced a culture that was different from the Anglo-Saxon one in many ways The seven-time World Champion made a dream move to Ferrari for this season and he pretty much hasn’t stopped smiling since “I’m getting the biggest buzz every time just putting my kit on,” he said when we caught up via video link not long after he got his first taste of a Ferrari with a shakedown at Fiorano as part of a filming day I’m in this beautiful old building that Enzo had his office in And I just want to work as hard as I can with the great people to elevate them and the brand as high as possible.” Hamilton made his first public appearance as a Ferrari driver at F1 75 Live There has been so much chat over the years about Hamilton potentially joining F1’s most famous team Ferrari – so it’s no surprise that not only was it headline-topping news when he signed on the dotted line but also that those first few days at his new home in Maranello last month were so “invigorating” for him The whirlwind that comes with being a Ferrari driver has swept him up F1 STORE: Check out Ferrari's 2025 teamwear collection “The first week was definitely very emotional,” he says Did we ever know we would be working together We needed the stars to align and they did finally “There’s a lot of love in this team – and passion and the drive to succeed – there’s no lack of that Hamilton and Leclerc offer first reaction to driving 2025 Ferrari car The last three seasons have been painful for Hamilton as Mercedes – the team with which he won six of his seven World Championships – failed to get to grips with the latest generation of ground-effect racing cars he wasn’t in his happy place and you could see the toll it was taking on him as one difficult weekend followed another He proved he could still operate at his peak – as he showed with a stunning win on home soil at the British Grand Prix – but he wasn’t used to such inconsistency particularly when it came to one-lap speed WATCH: Hamilton, Leclerc and Vasseur show off Ferrari’s 2025 look at F1 75 Live has already delivered the rejuvenation that he so desperately needed as he looks to clinch a record eighth world championship “It's a completely new chapter,” says the 40-year-old “The previous chapters have been as great as they could be I genuinely feel like I’m exactly where I am supposed to be It’s invigorating to have this new burst of energy “I never thought in this part of my life I would have this excitement each day I’m getting to work with a new group of people I’m massively challenged with the hurdles that are ahead in terms of learning as fast as you can to be ready to fight for a championship but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we can be as ready as we can be.” TECH ANALYSIS: The 'significant changes' that are giving Ferrari confidence in their 2025 car The smile and sense of contentment that adorned Hamilton’s face from the very first word of this interview remained throughout – and that is despite him operating on a couple of hours sleep after landing at 4am having played chess with new team mate Charles Leclerc during the flight after the F1 75 Live launch event Whether that smile remains will come down in large part to the quality of the machinery Ferrari deliver him and it’s far too early to judge that given they’ve only done a handful of laps on a small track But from what Hamilton has seen in his first few weeks he’s optimistic the team has the tools to get the job done Hamilton was behind the wheel of the Ferrari SF-25 at Fiorano the day after the event at The O2 “I do believe this team has absolutely everything to win – we’ve just got to build one step at a time,” he adds “We don’t know what everyone else is bringing “We’ll just get to Bahrain and we’ll just keep our head down and focus on doing our job and maximising our three days And we’ll see how we are when we turn up to Melbourne [which hosts the first Grand Prix of the season on 14-16 March) no stone will be unturned and we just keep on pushing GALLERY: Ferrari SF-25 hits the track for the first time at Fiorano When speaking to written media he added: “I've worked with two World Championship-winning teams before and I know what a winning team looks and feels like “The passion here is like nothing you have ever seen They have got every ingredient they need to win a World Championship it's just about putting all the pieces together.” Hamilton believes the Ferrari team have all the right ingredients for a title bid Is Hamilton thinking about winning an eighth world championship “Winning the championship for Ferrari is the first “I don't think about the number eight I'm thinking about the first championship that the team's won for some time it's looking for that first one with the team and right now it's about how can I contribute to that GALLERY: Ferrari showcase their new livery for 2025 at F1 75 Live A championship win for Ferrari would take his legend to an all-new level – but if there was still any doubt about just how invigorated Hamilton is by this move the seven-time World Champion confirmed just how hungry he is to keep going "If I was fortunate enough to win another title which is obviously what we are setting out to do Norris concedes he 'paid the price' as he reflects on Lap 1 battle with Verstappen in Miami Red Bull's protest into Russell over yellow flags rejected by Miami stewards RACE START: Verstappen narrowly holds onto the lead in thrilling start to Miami GP left his garage at Ferrari’s private test circuit in Fiorano in foggy conditions before posting 30 laps who will be paid more than £100m across his new two-year deal with the Italian team tested a 2023 Ferrari – the latest model he is allowed to use Hamilton will complete further miles at the Circuit de Barcelona‑Catalunya next week before Formula One’s official three-day pre-season test starts in Bahrain on 26 February It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula One car It was such an exciting and special moment and here I am Lewis Hamilton shows his appreciation after thousands of Ferrari fans turned up in the rain and fog to cheer his first session behind the wheel of a Ferrari Photograph: Jennifer Lorenzini/ReutersHamilton has enjoyed a whirlwind week at Ferrari’s base in Maranello after meeting his new colleagues following his transfer from Mercedes last year On the eve of his first outing in Ferrari colours he posted a picture on his social media accounts dressed in the famous red overalls – an image that attracted 1.5 million “likes” inside an hour of it being uploaded to Instagram Hamilton also unveiled a new yellow crash helmet with Ferrari’s fanatical support flocking to the Fiorano circuit on Wednesday to catch a sight of their new hero Ferrari’s fans gather outside the track with a message of welcome Photograph: Luca Bruno/APHamilton’s father who worked multiple jobs to bankroll his son’s junior career who is bidding to become the first driver to win eight world championship titles said: “I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is But to now witness it first‑hand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it We have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started.” Hamilton made the move to Ferrari after 12 seasons at Mercedes – a transfer perceived to be the biggest in the sport’s history – and his first race for his new team will be in Melbourne on 16 March Ferrari tifosi out in force to welcome Lewis Hamilton to the famous racing marque Photograph: Luca Bruno/APHe is due to take the wraps off his new Ferrari alongside his teammate Charles Leclerc on 19 February in Maranello – a day after the F1 season launch event at the O2 Arena in London also took part in some running on Wednesday after taking on driving duties from Hamilton “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,” Leclerc said after he completed 14 laps “Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season.” Lewis Hamilton has shared his emotions after getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car for the first time with the seven-time World Champion hailing the experience as “one of the best feelings of my life” After spending his first day at the squad’s Maranello headquarters on Monday, Hamilton hit the Scuderia’s Fiorano track on Wednesday for his greatly-anticipated debut in red as part of his “immersion programme” GALLERY: Hamilton pictured driving a Ferrari F1 car for the first time at Fiorano starting with an installation lap on wet tyres amid a foggy morning at the circuit with some of the Tifosi watching from the sidelines Members of Hamilton’s family were also in attendance to see the milestone moment unfold while team boss Fred Vasseur and deputy Jerome d’Ambrosio also looked on Hamilton bolted on the slick tyres and completed flying laps as well as practice starts bringing his total mileage for the session to 30 laps the 40-year-old greeted the fans that had gathered to watch him in action on what was clearly a special day for him Hamilton was left "energised" by the support from the Ferrari family during his first day at the wheel of one of the team's F1 cars “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career was one of the best feelings of my life,” Hamilton reflected afterwards “I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is Hamilton completed 30 laps in the SF-23 during Wednesday's session Hamilton was not alone in putting in some laps at Fiorano with Charles Leclerc also in action during the afternoon for a different programme to Hamilton as well as performing some celebratory donuts for the watching fans “The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays,” said Leclerc READ MORE: Hamilton to reunite with former trainer Angela Cullen as his Ferrari journey begins Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season.” Team boss Vasseur also offered his thoughts following Hamilton's first laps behind the wheel of a Ferrari with the fortunes of the Scuderia driver pairing set to be one of the stories of 2025 especially today as it was Lewis’ first day as part of the team," Vasseur said Charles Leclerc was also back out on track in the SF-23 “Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment IN PHOTOS: Hamilton soaks up his first day as a Ferrari driver at Maranello "It was also a warm-up for the team in the garage Hamilton will continue to spend the coming days and weeks integrating with his new team while the whole squad push on with their preparations for the 2025 season Piastri wins from Norris and Russell as McLaren seal commanding 1-2 in Miami Grand Prix © Ferrari / Lewis Hamilton on his first day at Ferrari.Translate: Lewis Hamilton is determined to finish his F1 career on a historic note by winning an eighth world title with Ferrari soaking in the atmosphere of the team before his first season with the Scuderia in 2025 the Briton completed his first laps with his new team Ferrari marking a spectacular turning point after 12 years with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton took to the foggy Fiorano track under the eyes of hundreds of tifosi who came to see their new hero adding a touch of emotion to this special day Craig Slater from Sky Sports described the atmosphere: « A fantastic atmosphere here a warm and spontaneous welcome for Lewis Hamilton Many tifosi and Ferrari fans are present with banners to support him It almost feels like he has always been part of this team he has completely immersed himself in the Ferrari universe and now fully feels like a Ferrari driver taking place during a public filming day with a two-year-old car and non-race-approved tires But they provided Hamilton with a valuable first opportunity to adapt to his new team emphasized the importance of staying focused: « He wants the emotion to be limited to a single lap Lewis Hamilton is also surrounding himself with his trusted team for this new phase of his career. His manager, Marc Hynes, was present, as was Angela Cullen, his long-time physiotherapist, who will be back by his side during race weekends He becomes the 12th British driver to race for Ferrari in F1 He hopes to follow in the footsteps of legends like Mike Hawthorn the first British world champion in 1958 with Ferrari Craig Slater concluded: « Can he achieve what he hopes to be the masterpiece of his career with an eighth championship at the most famous team in F1 who performed very well after the summer break last season this quest for an eighth title with Ferrari could very well be the ultimate accomplishment of his career Ferrari joined a growing list of teams shaking down their F1 2025 machinery when Charles Leclerc took to the Fiorano circuit on Wednesday morning to put the first laps on the SF-25 Following Tuesday night’s grand F1 75 livery reveal at the O2 Arena in London, Ferrari released the first renderings of the all-new car before its on-track debut at their private circuit in Italy Ferrari’s ever-faithful Tifosi gathered early in the morning to get a good viewing spot for the action (📸 andreaa_morettii) pic.twitter.com/pJ4kOdFfCh — CL16__FanpageFr 🇲🇨 (@Cl16__FanpageFr) February 19, 2025 After Ferrari chairman John Elkann flew in Leclerc left the garage just before 9:30am local time as the crowd broke into cheers and sang ‘ole ole ole’ The Monegasque driver waved to the fans as he drove past Ore 9:23 , Charles porta al debutto la SF-25#F1 #AutoRacer pic.twitter.com/YHACRz8Nah — Rosario Giuliana (@RosarioGiuliana) February 19, 2025 Practice starts were part of his Day 1 programme with Leclerc stopping in front of the fans to rev the engine before peeling off 📸 mattepoggioli pic.twitter.com/MZ9mMgCcX0 — leclerc data (@leclercdata) February 19, 2025 According to Ferrari’s Technical Director of Chassis Loic Serra his design team have changed “99 per cent” of the car compared to its predecessor to “maximise performance.” While the most notable difference is the return to the pullrod front suspension layout the engine cover has been redesigned along with sidepods and rear wing 👉 Ferrari reveal Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 F1 car, the SF-25 👉 Huge Ferrari SF-25 gains discovered as secret simulator data emerges – report Speaking ahead of his debut run in the 2025 car Leclerc laid out his goals for the new season with the Monegasque driver targeting a first World Championship The SF-25 makes its debut in Fiorano! pic.twitter.com/Mnks5EcLrv — Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025 “Every year we push hard to improve and the whole team has been working flat out for months now,” he said “Last season saw a really tight fight and we came very close to taking the title our goal is clear: we want to win the Constructors’ World Championship and my personal target is to win the Drivers’ Title “Since Lewis joined the team we have already been working very closely together and I believe that his experience and approach will prove to be a source of inspiration for me “I am physically and mentally more than ready to face this new season and I can’t wait to get on track to do everything I can to put Scuderia Ferrari HP back on top.” Leclerc will hand the SF-25 over to Lewis Hamilton later in the day as the team-mates will be sharing the 200km of running permitted during a filming day Read next: Revealed: Every single F1 2025 livery after big O2 launch