Hamilton got behind the wheel of a 2023-spec Ferrari at the Scuderia’s famed private test track in Fiorano.
Watched on by throngs of tifosi, the seven-time world champion ventured out on track for the first time at 9:16am local time on a set of rain tyres for a slow installation lap.
He followed that with a further 29 laps over the course of the morning before handing over to new team-mate, Charles Leclerc, for the afternoon.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning, was one of the best feelings of my life,” Hamilton beamed.
“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face.
“It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again.
“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the tifosi,” he added.
“To now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring.
“That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it.
“I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started.”
The brief track session was the first time Hamilton had to work with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, who was on the radio for the balance of the outing.
In addition to the tifosi, Hamilton’s initial laps team boss Fred Vasseur and vice-chairman Piero Ferrari also watched on as Hamilton turned in his first laps as a Ferrari F1 driver.
Leclerc was also an interested observer before climbing into the car himself following the lunch break.
“It’s good to be back on track, to see that so many fans came out to watch us,” said the Monegasque.
“Feeling all this excitement surrounding the team is very motivating.
“It was a good day, even though it was raining a little bit when I was driving.
“Of course it was nice to be able to see Lewis driving his first laps in a Ferrari, which was a special moment for the team and for him.
“Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season. “
During his stint, Leclerc recorded 14 laps, the equivalent of 42 kilometres.
Under the regulations, teams are allowed to run their nominated race drivers in ‘TPC’ (Testing Previous Car) machinery for a maximum of 1000 kilometres.
Earlier, Hamilton recorded 89 kilometres of running, the squad having used 13 percent of its annual allowance over the course of the day.
