Ferrari release unseen Lewis Hamilton footage from…read more
Ferrari has unveiled previously unseen footage of Lewis Hamilton’s initial days at their Maranello headquarters, capturing the excitement and emotions of the seven-time World Champion. The footage, shared on Ferrari’s YouTube channel, follows Hamilton’s journey as he integrated with the Scuderia team, beginning with his seat fitting and his introduction to the staff members.
In the video, Hamilton expressed his long-awaited excitement, saying, “I’ve been waiting for this day forever, so I’m really, really happy. I’m excited to meet everybody, I can’t wait to start – let’s get going.” The first steps involved him adjusting to the Ferrari team’s atmosphere and undergoing a seat fitting, donning the iconic red overalls for the first time. After stepping out of the fitting room, Hamilton smiled and said, “It’s good, no? First time in red. Feels good.” When told he looked great in red, he responded enthusiastically, “It’s so sick!”
The video also highlights Hamilton’s first interactions with his new team members, including Ferrari’s main driver, Charles Leclerc, and Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman, who will make his full-season debut with Haas in 2025. The footage showcases Hamilton touring Ferrari’s headquarters and speaking with his new colleagues in the team’s offices.
The next step in Hamilton’s Maranello experience was his first test at Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track. On a foggy morning, Hamilton toured the track and reflected on the surreal experience of being there. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “So I ran this track, I did three laps yesterday in the morning, it was great. I’ve seen photos of this. When I was running down to the hairpin and I was looking back, I was like ‘Oh my God,’ it hit me in waves.”
Hamilton expressed how much the moment meant to him, emphasizing how much of a dream it was to be at Ferrari and how it felt like the culmination of a long journey. “It’s been such a dream to come here and have this experience, it’s amazing. I’ve got my dad here and my two mums, and it’s been a long, long way. I feel like, well – it’s the first day of work but first day of school,” he said.
Later footage shows Hamilton familiarizing himself with the Ferrari steering wheel’s controls, followed by a drive around the Fiorano circuit. As he drove, his team radio feedback was broadcast, and his reaction was simply, “Wow, that was amazing.”
Since then, Hamilton has continued testing with Ferrari, including a session at Barcelona, where he participated in a TPC outing and a Pirelli tyre test. The official pre-season testing for Formula 1 will take place in Bahrain from February 26-28, where Hamilton is expected to continue preparing for the 2025 season.
