Lewis Hamilton officially took the wheel of a Ferrari single-seater for the first time on Wednesday at the team's Fiorano test circuit.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion tackled an adaptation program by testing the SF-23, the model used by the team in 2023.
Timed on average in one minute per lap, according to AutoRacer, the 40-year-old Briton had to deal with cool temperatures and some minor errors. From 9:16 a.m. local time, he completed a first installation lap on a wet and misty track.
During the morning, Hamilton covered around 100 km in four sessions, taking advantage of one of the rare runs allowed on old single-seaters as part of the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) tests. He first fitted wet tires before switching to slick compounds at the end of the session, completing a series of around five laps. The lack of grip was felt, with several wheel locks and a wide exit during his first ten-lap stint.
His session ended shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT), as weather conditions deteriorated. In the afternoon, his teammate Charles Leclerc took over in the rain, concluding his run by offering a few “donuts” to the fans present.
Despite the private nature of the trial, Sky Sports News reports that “thousands” of fans came to see their new star. Hamilton took advantage of the lunch break to greet these fans, who had braved the cold to witness his debut in the red colors of Ferrari.
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-The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari has generated considerable enthusiasm, to the point that some are talking about a real “state of emergency” in the Maranello region. His first week with the Scuderia began on Monday with a visit to the team's historic headquarters, before a highly anticipated first test on Wednesday at the Fiorano circuit.
This test session allowed the seven-time world champion to get his bearings behind the wheel of a Ferrari single-seater and to discover an engine other than Mercedes for the first time in his career in Formula 1, after 18 seasons spent exclusively with the manufacturer. German.
Beyond the technical learning, this day also offered Hamilton the opportunity to familiarize himself with the working methods of his new team and to establish a first contact with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.
The Briton will continue his adaptation in the coming weeks, with around 900 additional km to cover at the wheel of old F1 cars from the Italian firm. According to our information, the Scuderia has already reserved the Barcelona circuit for a new TPC test session by the end of the month.
Read also: Johnny Herbert compares Lewis Hamilton to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari
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