Charles Leclerc had best “be careful” of Lewis Hamilton, who was “cunning” enough to get Ferrari president John Elkann on his side with his Day One media as a Ferrari driver.

Last Monday Hamilton celebrated his first official day as a Ferrari F1 driver, the Briton having made the move over from Mercedes in one final throw of the dice as he chases title number eight.

Cunning, masterful? Was there more behind Hamilton’s Day One photos

From meeting with team personnel in Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters to driving the simulator, Day One incorporated all of the usual bits and bobs as a driver familiarises himself with his new team.

But then came the razzmatazz.

Hamilton, suited and booted in a sharp black suit and coat, posed for his first official photographs as a Ferrari driver outside of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari’s house.

From the red door to the easter egg of seven open windows and even a Ferrari F40 in the mix, it was a marketing dream. So much so the post on Instagram has reached 5.6 million likes, more than any other F1 photograph.

More on Lewis Hamilton as he starts life at Ferrari

👉 What’s next for Lewis Hamilton? Second Ferrari test booked and more key dates

👉 How Hamilton’s reported Ferrari lap times compared to Schumacher’s record

The post overhauled Charles Leclerc’s for the most likes, the Monegasque driver and Ferrari’s ‘il Predestinato’ have taken a selfie with the Monza crowd after winning the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

And don’t for a moment trivialise Hamilton’s pic overhauling Leclerc’s.

On the surface, it may just be numbers on social media, but according to Italian F1 journalist Antonio Ghini, Hamilton’s “cunning” was in play in what he called a “masterful” display from the seven-time World Champion.

“The fact that Hamilton was cunning [enough] to bring the president with him, is no small thing,” he told Motorsport.com.

“From what I saw, I understood he was very pleased to see the few [social media] films there were. He [Elkann] was like a child in a toy store.

“Be careful, because he will be able to seduce not only the whole company which he did magnificently.

“The president himself is a cold president we know. He is always cold, meditative, [a] little expansive.

“Instead from how I saw him from the images, he was really happy with this situation. So let’s say that the Hamilton of Monday was masterful then.”

One of the big questions ahead of the new F1 2025 championship is the Ferrari line-up. Will the Scuderia favour Hamilton and how will Leclerc cope with having a seven-time World Champion as his team-mate.

“That is difficult to predict,” said former Ferrari legend Jean Alesi.

“Hamilton reads the tyres, he reads the traffic. We can say he has the experience, but I don’t think it’s just the experience. He has a different feeling and is very strong in terms of race pace.

“Charles is very strong in qualifying, and of course your starting position on the grid is always very important. It will be very interesting to see what will happen between those two.”

Read next: Ferrari told to be ‘pretty worried’ about Lewis Hamilton with ‘clock ticking’