Lewis Hamilton is only weeks away from his first appearance as a Ferrari driver. From 1 January, he’ll no longer be a Mercedes employee.
The 2025 F1 season launch doesn’t take place until 18 February at the O2 Arena in London. That may be the first public glimpse of Hamilton in Ferrari overalls.
A day later, Ferrari are due to hold a car launch of their own. Hamilton’s opening press conference could be on the agenda, depending on how they conduct the event.
At the end of February, the drivers and teams will head to Bahrain for the pre-season test. But Hamilton will already have driven Ferrari machinery by then.
Privately, Ferrari have pencilled in Hamilton’s first run for 21 January, or potentially the 22nd. Three venues are open to them – their own Fiorano test track, Imola or Mugello.
Weather will dictate where the outing takes place, and whether it needs to be rescheduled. Hamilton is expected to drive the 2023 car, as permitted under the regulations.
Ferrari won’t make a ‘show’ of Lewis Hamilton’s first run, Fred Vasseur says
Hamilton’s Ferrari move is probably the biggest driver transfer Formula 1 has ever seen. The Scuderia’s primary motivation is of course to win the world title for the first time since 2008.
But Hamilton’s unique commercial value won’t be lost on them. He’s one of the best-known and most marketable athletes on the planet, having matched Michael Schumacher’s record haul of seven championships in 2020.
When Schumacher joined Ferrari nearly 30 years ago, the Italian team invited the media and fans for his first test. But speaking to the media at an end-of-season event, team principal Fred Vasseur ruled out a similar event for Hamilton.
The Frenchman believes it will be a distraction for the 39-year-old driver, who needs to adjust to new machinery and working methods. Vasseur has brought a different style of leadership since joining at the start of 2023.
“Vasseur was asked whether there was a plan to make a big deal of Hamilton’s first Ferrari test, as happened with Michael Schumacher in late 1995,” The Race’s Edd Straw said. “Schumacher had his first run in a Ferrari at the Fiorano test track on 16 November 1995, with media in attendance and thousands of fans peering into the track from every possible vantage point.
“That’s not Vasseur’s style. He says he doesn’t want to put on a show, but instead be focused on performance and development.”
How Lewis Hamilton is going even further than Michael Schumacher to prepare for Ferrari
Vasseur has vowed to let Hamilton and Charles Leclerc race in 2025, continuing the policy of the Carlos Sainz era. The two drivers contested one of the finest battles of the season in Qatar, with Leclerc coming out on top.
If Hamilton can beat Leclerc, it will be an indication that he remains one of the top two drivers on the grid. The Monegasque has the advantage of six prior seasons at Maranello (and three years before that in the driver academy).
As part of his integration efforts, Hamilton plans to move to Italy. He currently resides in Monaco but a report claims he’ll acquire a property in Milan.
Schumacher, who brought the Tifosi five straight titles between 2000 and 2004, chose not to take this step. Instead, he resided in Switzerland, which still made for a relatively short flight.
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