Lewis Hamilton has finally driven a Ferrari F1 car for the first time. The 40-year-old newcomer at Maranello took to the private track at Fiorano, where a thousand Tifosi cheered him on as he completed his first few laps in red.
The start of the 2025 season is still around two months away, but the celebrations seemed to have begun. Hamilton took notice of it, and being himself, decided to thank the fans who braved the cold and foggy weather in the region to come watch him drive.
After his session, which he described as one of the biggest moments of his career to date, Hamilton took a car to the fenced area from where the fans were watching him. He got close to them, waved at them, and showed his gratitude for their support.
[@sophwebsterxx]pic.twitter.com/qrMQ3iWfbv
— Hamilton Insights (@LH44_insights) January 22, 2025
For those who had seen him drive around in the scarlet car, it was enough to already place big expectations on his shoulders. “Hamilton, bring us the World Championship” was the English translation of what the passionate Italian fans were singing.
The seven-time World Champion, who did take a few Italian lessons before moving to Ferrari, must surely have gotten an idea of what they were asking for. And considering the CV he arrived with, they cannot be blamed.
Whether Ferrari does field a strong car and Hamilton gets a shot at the title, remains to be seen. But if the Stevenage-born driver manages to win the Championship in his first season with Ferrari, this moment, the one where fans chanted in unison for him at his testing, could become iconic.
Ferrari’s long drought and Hamilton’s long wait
The last time Ferrari finished P1 in the Constructors’ Championship was back in 2008, interestingly also the year Hamilton won his maiden Drivers’ crown while driving for McLaren.
The year before saw the last time a Ferrari driver tasted personal glory. It was when Kimi Raikkonen won his only title by finishing the season a point ahead of Hamilton and his then-McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.
Since then, Ferrari has suffered a drought. And while Hamilton went on to win six titles himself between 2014 and 2020, the eighth—which will take him clear of Michael Schumacher as F1’s most successful driver of all time—continues to elude him.
That’s why he joined Ferrari. Because of its 2022 slump, Mercedes had turned into a midfield team and Hamilton wanted to win once again before hanging up his helmet. So, if he manages to win both titles for Ferrari, it would be a historic moment for the two colossal entities.
