Hamilton in Red: The Seven-time champ arrives in Maranello

Jonathan Victoria • 22 Jan 2025 Features

The first moments of the long-awaited Hamilton-Ferrari linkup.

Around this time last year, the Formula 1 world was shaken right to its core with the monumental announcement that the most successful driver of all time would be joining the most successful team of all time.

It may have taken a long, but very exciting, year to get here, but it has been worth the wait as F1 fans, and really it seems everyone in the world, has been taken over by Hamilton-mania as we got a first look at the seven-time world champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton, in Ferrari red.

In all my years of watching F1, I have never seen anything like this. There have been massive moves in the past, and they usually include the driver switching to Ferrari.

But it’s never been like this. Sure, Michael Schumacher may be the true Ferrari legend, but that’s because he made himself one. Hamilton is joining the team having already established his legacy and to me, it feels like he is already on Michael’s standing at Maranello.

I don’t know if it’s just the sight of him in Ferrari red or the prospects of him potentially breaking the all-time Drivers’ Championship record with the historic team, which in the process would break their long championship-less drought. 

Whatever it is that is driving everyone insane, these first moments that we have been treated to of the sight of Hamilton arriving at the Scuderia’s headquarters have sent the F1 world wild.

Hamilton in Ferrari Red

On Monday morning, Hamilton took to his social media to show the first image of him standing outside the iconic Ferrari offices in Maranello.

Dressed in a dapper black suit with an overcoat, stood in front of a £1.8m Ferrari F40 with the red door of the offices and the Ferrari flag draping down above it in the background, the image sent Insta wild, garnering 5.3 million likes - making it the most liked F1 post of all time.

It marked Hamilton’s first visit to the offices where the founding father, Enzo Ferrari, built what would become Formula 1’s most celebrated outfit.

The Hamilton-Ferrari linkup has been one that has forever eluded the 105-time race winner but has been a dream of his since he was a child, as it is for every driver.

Now, it is becoming a reality for the kid from Stevenage, and these pictures show the jubilation from all sides.

Hamilton spent his first day at his new offices meeting the team, introducing himself to those who would be working on the challenger that will hopefully take himself and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, to lands the Prancing Horse has not been to since 2008.

Greeting him at the gates, behind all the adoring Tifosi who showed out in the adverse weather, were two of Ferrari’s head-honchos, Benedetto Vigna (CEO) and John Elkan (Executive chairman), as well as his not-so-new team principal Fred Vassuer, who was important in Hamilton’s formative years as his team boss back in his Formula 2 days with ART.

Tuesday saw another breaking-of-the-internet moment from the Brit as he presented the first look of him in his brand new Ferrari overall.

It has been the sight many have waited for, seeing him in the unmistakable Ferrari red. It looks so different, but in the best way possible.

But it was today, Wednesday 22nd January, where it truly became a reality, as Hamilton headed out onto the Fiorano Circuit, Ferrari’s very own private test track, for his first laps as a Ferrari driver.

First outing on track

Before he headed out on track, Hamilton took to his Instagram once more, rolling back the years by showing off his new helmet for the year which will see him don his favoured yellow design.

And with that, he headed to the garages for his first go out in a Ferrari car.

It was a private test behind closed doors yet that didn’t stop the Tifosi - and more importantly the media - from finding space to catch glimpses of the historic moment.

Officially, this was one of Ferrari’s allocated filming days, something that F1 allow each team to do every season and gives the side a chance to test and check a few things.

That was the real goal of the session. They weren’t running the new car or had the soon-to-be-announced livery. He was driving in a slightly modified version of the SF-23, their 2023 challenger, with the purpose of getting a feel for being in a Ferrari, having only ever known the power of a Mercedes-engined machine for his entire F1 career.

It was misty conditions in the morning but it did not stop the planned run, with Hamilton taking to the track at around 9:16am local time.

He did a few laps, nothing too remarkable as it’s not a track particularly suited to the modern day F1 cars, and it’s not like the conditions would allow him to open it up anywhere anyway.

But following the run, Ferrari’s new hero was chauffeured down to the corner where the 1500-strong Tifosi stood. The adoring fans chanted his name as he smiled and waved, thanking them for the hero’s welcome he was receiving.

That has been all so far from Hamilton’s visit to the home of his new team, and while it has only been three days, it has been the welcome that was deserved for the biggest star the series has ever witnessed.

If more is to come, the images are sure to set fans into a frenzy once again. But now, we must wait for the first moments the pair venture onto track for their official competitive start, with an exciting 2025 season promised.