How Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari laps at Fiorano compared to Michael Schumacher and Charles Leclerc’s fastest times

Lewis Hamilton completed his first outing as a Ferrari driver on Wednesday morning. He took to the Fiorano track in the SF-23, a two-year-old car.

Ferrari were willing to move Hamilton’s test if the weather conditions weren’t suitable. Imola, the home of the Emilia Romagna GP, was one option, as was Mugello.

But despite the mist, the Scuderia engineers gave the thumbs-up. Hamilton used both full-wet tyres and the Pirelli academy rubber, as permitted under the regulations.

Teammate Charles Leclerc is set to log his first running this afternoon. While Hamilton must adapt to a new team, Fred Vasseur will want to offer equal mileage opportunities to his drivers.

Hamilton will drive the 2025 Ferrari before pre-season testing, which is scheduled for the end of February in Bahrain. This is permitted under the guise of a filming day, though the total distance is regulated.

These winter outings are inherently low-key, but this was a significant day in F1 history. Fans have been waiting for it ever since the chequered flag fell in Abu Dhabi last month.

Lewis Hamilton was slower than Charles Leclerc and Michael Schumacher

A report from AutoRacer has shared details on Hamilton’s first test. The seven-time world champion apparently completed 90km, using nearly 10% of his maximum annual allowance (1,000km).

The combination of occasional rain showers and the cold track temperatures prevented Hamilton from truly pushing and building ‘confidence’ in the car. He made some ‘small errors’ during an interrupted programme.

The former Mercedes driver set a pace of around one minute per lap. The Fiorano circuit is only 1.9 miles long, shorter than any circuit on the F1 calendar.

• READ MORE: What is Fiorano? Ferrari’s legendary test track where Lewis Hamilton will make Scuderia debut

For context, Michael Schumacher holds the lap record, having set a 55.999 in the title-winning F2004. In the same car, Leclerc logged a best time of around 57.6s a couple of years ago.

Hamilton was substantially slower, but these weren’t necessarily performance runs. His main goal was to familiarise himself with Ferrari’s ‘working methods’ as he links up with a new engineer in Riccardo Adami.

Ferrari fans heard shouting just two words when they caught first glimpse of Lewis Hamilton

According to Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater, Hamilton’s debut attracted more than a thousand fans. Given that it was supposed to be a behind-closed-doors event, that’s an impressive turnout.

It won’t be until Bahrain that fans are able to watch continuous running, whether that’s at the track or on an international broadcast. Australia THN plays host to his first race on 16 March.

Ferrari fans shouted ‘my god’ when they saw Hamilton, reporters on the scene said. He was adorning a new yellow helmet, though it’s unclear if that will be his lid for the entire season.