Lewis Hamilton has adorned Ferrari colours for the first time as life in Maranello has officially begun.
The seven-time world champion started work with F1’s most successful team this week. He visited the Ferrari factory in Maranello on Monday.
Hamilton’s first duties as a Ferrari driver consisted of greeting his new colleagues before completing some mileage in the simulator. The Brit was shown around the Maranello factory where Hamilton was left mesmerised by the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta – which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT class in 1959.
The 40-year-old sent social media into chaos as he posed as a Ferrari driver for the first time outside of Enzo Ferrari’s old house with the Ferrari F40 – his favourite sportscar – behind him.
Damon Hill reacted to Hamilton’s picture with: “There it is, the beginning @scuderiaferrari” as one of, if not the most anticipated driver transfer in F1 history finally became a reality.
Now, Hamilton has put on the famous red colours ahead of his first test with Ferrari at their Fiorano Circuit on Wednesday.
Damon Hill says the ‘Devil wears Ferrari’ as Lewis Hamilton puts on red overalls for the first time
F1 fans were delighted with Hamilton’s ‘legendary’ photo in Ferrari red. The world has had to wait almost a year for the seven-time champion to wear the colours of F1’s most successful team.
It has been a long time coming that the 40-year-old has joined the Maranello outfit. Hamilton said being a Ferrari fan was ‘never a secret’ despite his incredible success with Mercedes.
The Brit will now get the chance to drive a Ferrari F1 car ahead of the 2025 season-opener in Australia in March. Ferrari are set to give Hamilton several outings before pre-season testing in Bahrain at the end of February.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Driving for Ferrari was something Hill never got the chance to do, but like Hamilton, the fellow Brit did compete against and beat the Maranello outfit to the championship.
He beat Michael Schumacher in his rookie season with Ferrari and his Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve in 1996 for his only title in F1.
After seeing Hamilton in red for the first time, Hill had just three words for the seven-time world champion as he posted on his Instagram story: “Devil wears Ferrari”.
What Ferrari fans shouted at Lewis Hamilton when they saw him on track for the first time
Hamilton is one of four F1 drivers completing private tests this week with their respective teams. But understandably, the Brit’s outing is attracting the most interest.
Hundreds of fans flocked to the factory in Maranello to greet the 40-year-old on Monday, with thousands coming down to the Fiorano Circuit to witness Hamilton’s first test.
There had been concerns that the test would be delayed due to the poor weather conditions. But despite the rain and the fog, Hamilton took to the track on wet tyres.
Ferrari fans were heard shouting ‘My God’ as they finally saw Hamilton in a Ferrari for the first time. The Brit will not be showing his real pace at Fiorano, but it still marks an incredible moment in F1 history.
Teammate Charles Leclerc is set to run alongside Hamilton in the test. However, under the TPC rules {Testing of Previous Cars} Leclerc cannot run at the same time as Hamilton and therefore must share a car.
