What Lewis Hamilton’s first weeks as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver will look like

Changing a profile picture marked the beginning of a new era.

As a child, Lewis Hamilton wore an oversized yellow racing suit and a large red helmet and operated the steering wheel of his go-kart, which had his now iconic number 44 emblazoned on the front.

Seeing Hamilton in red is unusual. When racing go-karts, he began wearing a bright yellow helmet so his father could see him better in large racing racks. He wore the helmet for most of his career at McLaren and, from 2013, also at Mercedes.

The throwback picture that appeared on Instagram and

He has officially been a Scuderia Ferrari driver since January 1st. A dream cherished by so many, but experienced by so few.

In the weeks after the shock news was announced in early February last year, Hamilton said he had always wondered what it would be like to one day race in the red cars. As a teenager, he even drove as Michael Schumacher while playing video games, the closest thing he ever got to driving a Ferrari.

But Mercedes’ reluctance to give him a long-term contract beyond 2024, and the fact that the door opened at Maranello when Carlos Sainz’s contract ended, paved the way for Hamilton to make the jump.

Ferrari will be only the third F1 team Hamilton has competed for, meaning the type of transition he will undergo will be a strange one – one he has had for over a decade since leaving McLaren at the end of 2012 , hasn’t experienced it since and it wasn’t nearly as emotional as his last appearance for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi.

The unpleasant nature of Hamilton’s final 11 months at Mercedes, during which he drove the entire season knowing he would be leaving at the end of the year, may now give way to the excitement of getting the Ferrari project off the ground. While he admitted to keeping an eye on Ferrari’s progress through 2024, with the company just 14 points shy of its first constructors’ title since 2008, Hamilton had to remain focused on his high-profile commitments at Mercedes. The same was true at Ferrari, where team boss Fred Vasseur said last month he had been “cautious” in contact with Hamilton all year.

That all changes with the new year. Once Hamilton finishes his winter break – a second photo posted to his Instagram Stories shows him on the slopes wearing a ski mask – he can begin integrating himself into Ferrari’s 2025 project.

Hamilton’s first Ferrari test

The first time Hamilton dons the famous red Ferrari colors and gets behind the wheel of one of his F1 cars will be the moment he has longed for throughout his career. It should also be a relatively low-key event.

Instead of taking place in front of the world’s media at the start of joint pre-season testing in Bahrain at the end of February, Hamilton’s Ferrari bow is planned to take place behind closed doors at a private test. All teams are allowed to complete private tests all year round, but subject to strict restrictions, including with regard to the vehicles that can be used. No comprehensive testing of last year’s car is permitted outside of pre-season testing or race weekends, but teams can complete the test with newer machines.

According to TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) regulations, teams are only allowed to use vehicles “designed and constructed to comply with the technical regulations of one of the three calendar years immediately preceding the calendar year preceding the year of the championship. This means Ferrari can use its 2021, 2022 or 2023 cars for Hamilton’s first test. Since the 2021 car was subject to the old control cycle (before the return of ground effect aerodynamics) and therefore performs differently, it is logical that either the 2022 or 2023 car will be used.

Ferrari uses Fiorano, the private test track at its headquarters in Maranello, for testing. (Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

While there won’t be a complete connection to what Hamilton will find in the 2025 Ferrari car, he will at least have the chance to get used to the team’s systems, such as the steering wheel functions, and get to know his new colleagues. Hamilton can also use the Ferrari simulator at Maranello for the same purpose and try out a version of the new car, even if nothing quite matches the original.

Vasseur was hesitant to give specifics about when and where Hamilton would do his first Ferrari test, saying only that the team “will have the opportunity to do a TPC or Pirelli test day.” In recent years, Ferrari has used Fiorano, the private test track at its headquarters in Maranello, for its TPC runs.

Get ready for 2025

Hamilton’s first public appearance as a Ferrari driver is expected to take place at the F1 75 Live season-opening event at the O2 in London on February 18. The event, set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the F1 World Championship, will see all ten teams present their drivers and liveries for the season on stage before testing began eight days later in Bahrain.

Ferrari has planned its own car launch in Maranello on February 19, a day after the event at the O2, where its 2025 model will make its first track appearance. Although teams cannot do private testing with this year’s cars, they are allowed to hold two “promotional events,” also known as filming days, each year, which are limited to 200 kilometers of running. Teams often use one of these days to carry out a shakedown with their new car before the start of pre-season testing.

Once testing begins, Hamilton will be able to fully familiarize himself with the new Ferrari car. He will share the three days of running at the Bahrain International Circuit from February 26th to 28th with teammate Charles Leclerc, with no mileage limits within the daily schedule.

A day and a half isn’t much time to get used to a new car. Although Vasseur said last month he was “not worried” given Hamilton’s vast experience and ability, he admitted it was a challenge.

“If you imagine going to Bahrain and having the sandstorm like a few years ago, it’s tough, but it’s tough for everyone on the grid,” Vasseur said. “We know we only have three days there. It is like it is.”

After completing pre-season testing in Bahrain, Ferrari will focus on final preparations for Hamilton’s debut at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16. With only 1 percent of last year’s Ferrari’s parts being carried over to the 2025 model, Vasseur says there will be a lot for the team to try to understand the new car despite the stability of the regulations.

British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton attends a farewell event for the Mercedes F1 team at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur on December 10, 2024, before racing with Ferrari next season. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Away from the racetrack

With Hamilton, Ferrari has not only signed the driver who has achieved more race wins and pole positions than anyone else in F1 history. It also has one of the most vocal and public personalities the sport has ever known.

Hamilton’s fame goes beyond Formula 1. In October, he was named co-chair of the 2025 Met Gala, which he called a “real honor and privilege,” and late last year he also became an ambassador for Dior Men. Driving for the most famous Formula 1 team will be Hamilton’s only further strengthening his already considerable profile, which he wants to use for good.

Hamilton has stated that the biggest part of his F1 legacy will be his efforts to improve diversity and inclusion. It has been a central part of his relationship with Mercedes over the past five years, as he partnered with Hamilton’s Mission 44 campaign to launch the charity Ignite, as well as the team’s own Accelerate 25 program, which has so far successfully aimed to raise more than 25 per cent of the… New hires from 2021 to the end of 2025 will come from underrepresented backgrounds.

It is important for Hamilton to continue working with Ferrari. Last February, Hamilton said the team had “a lot of work to do” but he had “already made this a priority” when he spoke to Ferrari president John Elkann. “They’re super excited to get going and work on it,” Hamilton said. It will be important for Hamilton to lay these foundations as he begins his life with the team.

When the lights go out for his Ferrari debut in Australia, Hamilton will also be looking to bounce back and rediscover some of his old spark after struggling badly in his final season for Mercedes. Although he managed to break his drought with victories at Silverstone and Spa, Hamilton struggled to cope with the car, particularly over a single lap, which resulted in him falling to seventh in the championship – his worst result F1 career.

2025 will therefore not only be the start of an exciting new chapter for Hamilton and Ferrari, but also a necessary restart for one of the sport’s greats as he looks to fulfill the promise of his dream move to Maranello.

Top photo of Lewis Hamilton: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images