'One of the best feelings of my life' – Hamilton reflects on 'special' first Ferrari drive

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

The Briton headed out in an SF-23, 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.

As the test continued, 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. After a debrief with the engineers, the 40-year-old greeted the fans that had gathered to watch him in action on what was clearly a special day for him.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, 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,” Hamilton reflected afterwards.

“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost 20 years later, feeling those emotions all over again.

MUST-SEE: How new Ferrari driver Hamilton’s first day at Maranello unfolded

“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi! 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.”

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. The Monegasque amassed 14 laps, 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. “It’s good to be back on track, to see that so many fans came out to watch us. Feeling all this excitement surrounding the team is very motivating. It was a good day, even though it was raining a little bit when I was driving.

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“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.”

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.

“As is the case every year, 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," Vasseur said.

“Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see him fit, relaxed and keen to go racing again.

"As for the technical side, 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.

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. That was the sole purpose of today."

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.

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