Lewis Hamilton’s preparations for the 2025 season with Ferrari are in full swing, following his first trip to their Maranello factory.
The seven-time world champion dropped in for the first time ahead of a private test set to take place at their Fiorano test track, where he took part in a photo op for the first time with the team.
Ferrari fans were excited by the prospect of Hamilton, who wore a suit to mark the occasion in front of Enzo Ferrari’s old house and stood next to an F40 road car.
Maranello’s mayor has declared a ‘state of emergency’ before Hamilton’s first test, due to the sheer amount of fans all eager to catch a glimpse of the seven-time world champion.
There is a sense of anticipation over whether Hamilton can add an eighth world championship to his name at Ferrari, although Peter Windsor thinks there is one reason why he will not be as dominant as he was at Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton no longer has a teammate like Valtteri Bottas
Hamilton joins Ferrari at a time when they have shown competitiveness, despite struggling to produce a race-winning car in the last three years. There was a lot of promise towards the end of 2024, with victories for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Rosberg expects Leclerc to beat Hamilton over the course of a season, while Windsor thinks there is one reason why he will struggle to match his dominant form at Mercedes.
“If you think the Lewis at Ferrari will be the Lewis that dominated at Mercedes, think again. Because he had a very good teammate that allowed him to do that, who allowed him to do that,” said Windsor.
“Not Nico Rosberg but Valtteri Bottas, and he had a great car. It’s not detracting from Lewis, but the situation is not the same – Leclerc is not Bottas. He’s much, much quicker.”
British F1 drivers excited by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
After posting his first image from Maranello on social media, British F1 drivers have all shared their enthusiasm for the move.
Damon Hill expressed his excitement for the move in a post on social media, while Lando Norris also called Hamilton a ‘don’ appearing in his suit.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Hamilton will be the first British driver to race for Ferrari since 1999 in 2025, the last being Eddie Irvine who went on to win four races with the team.
Ferrari is set to let Hamilton test in an old-spec car from pre-2024 as part of the rules around Testing of Previous Cars during his first run this week.
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