Lewis Hamilton Makes Historic First Visit To Ferrari’s Maranello Base

It was a momentous day for Formula 1: seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s first-ever visit to Ferrari’s iconic Maranello headquarters finally happened on 20 January 2025 as he started the journey with the iconic Italian side after his surprise exit from Mercedes.

A Dream Realized

For the British driver Hamilton, his arrival at the Ferrari factory was the stuff of dreams. Dressed to the nines in a black pinstriped suit, Hamilton seemed both thrilled and professional as he stepped into his new workplace. An Instagram post explained the importance of that moment for Hamilton:

“There are some days that you know you’ll always remember, and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those. I’ve been lucky enough to have done things in my career that nobody could have predicted, but a part of me has always clung onto that childhood dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to achieve that today.”

For Hamilton, Ferrari will be the realization of a lifelong dream. The unprecedented success with Mercedes did little to dissuade him, including six of his seven world championships. The chance to wear that famous red racing suit was too much to resist.

A Warm Welcome

Ferrari did not leave anything to chance in welcoming its new star driver. His day started by visiting the Fiorano test track, a symbolic welcome by the team’s principal, Fred Vasseur, and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna. Nobody was blind to the symbolic importance of the place he had been taken to: the small square named after Michael Schumacher, the only other seven-time world champion in F1 history.

Ferrari had a gleaming F40 supercar on show—the favorite Ferrari model of Hamilton. This was in respect to the personal likeness of Hamilton. It showed the thoughtfulness of the team for making him feel at home in the new surroundings.

Exploring Maranello

This included an all-encompassing tour of Ferrari facilities that plunged him right into the midst of the storied past of a race team complemented with current high technology. Among them, the famous office of Enzo Ferrari, in which the legendary founder of Ferrari could peer at his workers working hard at their work, will not go unmentioned. And of course, a close relationship with the F1 World that has made it surely sound more special for Hamilton.

The day continued with Hamilton meeting key members of Ferrari’s management team, including Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo. He then embarked on an extensive tour of the various departments, getting to know the people and processes that will be crucial to his success with the team.

Technical Preparation Started

Most of Hamilton’s first day was about introductions and familiarization, but the serious work to prepare for the 2025 season also got underway. He would have taken part in his first simulator session, an important part of adapting to Ferrari’s systems and the characteristics of the car.

Over the coming days, Hamilton will be heavily immersed in technical meetings and briefings as he works to immerse himself in all things Ferrari. This is an important process whereby Hamilton will need to forge strong relationships in double-quick time with his new engineering team, including race engineer Riccardo Adami, who worked with Sebastian Vettel.

Anticipation Builds for On-Track Debut

While the off-track stuff has dominated the first day for Hamilton in Maranello, the racing world has waited for what feels like more of an awaited fact: Lewis Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari Formula 1 car. According to reports, it is believed that Hamilton will sample Ferrari machinery for the very first time this week on 22nd January as he reportedly takes the F1-75—an F1 from last season—at Fiorano for 415.

This will be an important maiden test to start acclimatizing Hamilton to the traits of the Ferrari power unit after having spent all his years in F1 so far with Mercedes engines. This test will help him start work on seating, brake feel, and positioning of the steering wheel.

Challenges and Expectations

Hamilton’s arrival in Ferrari does bring a mountain of expectations with challenges. The British driver is arriving at the tifosi fresh off his worst completed F1 season, after finishing seventh in the 2024 championship. However, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes that partly Hamilton’s struggles were because of an awkward situation—knowing he was going to leave Mercedes—and is confident the change in environment will reinvigorate the champion driver.

The pressure on Hamilton to deliver Ferrari’s first drivers’ championship since 2007 will be immense. The Tifosi, Ferrari’s fervent fanbase, have gone without success for too long and will be looking to Hamilton’s proven ability to win championships.

Impact on the F1 Landscape

The news of Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari sent shockwaves throughout the world of Formula 1. It was put into a historical context, likened to other seismic transfers, with examples including Ayrton Senna joining Williams or Michael Schumacher’s switch to Ferrari. However, given Hamilton’s status as the most successful driver in F1 history27, many observers think this could be even more important.

A Hamilton-Ferrari tie-up could rewrite the record books. The possibility of an eighth world championship with the Scuderia would break his tie with Michael Schumacher for the most titles with the team most closely associated with Schumacher’s legacy.

Reaction in Italy

The excitement of Hamilton’s arrival was palpable, especially in Italy. Ferrari for Italians is more than just a racing team; it is an institution. Since signing Hamilton, he has been the headline of front pages throughout the country, not only in sports-related publications.

As narrated, Roberto Chinchero is an Italian journalist, and he described that “It was the biggest story in Italy, not only in the sporting media but also in newspaper covers all over Lewis. Everybody used Photoshop to put a Ferrari suit on Lewis!

Such is the level of interest that fears have been voiced over how chaotic it may get when Hamilton makes his first test in red. The mayor of Maranello has also reportedly increased police presence to regulate any flood of fans and journalists alike.

Looking Ahead

Hamilton’s first day in Maranello is just the beginning of what promises to be an intense period of preparation in the lead-up to the 2025 season. After his initial test at Fiorano, Hamilton is expected to conduct further testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya later in January 15.

Ferrari will unveil their 2025 car on February 19, and Hamilton—along with teammate Charles Leclerc—will then presumably complete a short shakedown run up the road from Maranello at Fiorano in preparation for the all-important pre-season test that follows in Bahrain from February 26-28.

A New Chapter Begins

The feeling of a new era was palpable as Lewis Hamilton started his first day in Ferrari red. For Hamilton, it is another challenge; to seal the deal on the mantle of greatest-ever F1 driver. But to Ferrari, this is all a statement of intent—they are desperate to return themselves to the summit.

Melding Formula 1’s most successful driver with its most storied team has captured the imagination of fans worldwide. As Hamilton himself said, “Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”

With Lewis Hamilton now a part of Ferrari, the wait for the 2025 season of Formula 1 cannot get here fast enough for anxious fans ready to see this new and exciting chapter in the sport get its proper meaning. It truly sets up one of the most intriguing seasons in recent memory.