Lewis Hamilton ‘grateful’ after first day on track for Ferrari F1

Following two days of meetings and introductions, Lewis Hamilton finally got to do what he was hired to do at Ferrari.

Climb into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car and push it to the limit.

Hamilton climbed into the SF-23, the team’s challenger during the 2023 season, at Ferrari’s test track on Wednesday and put the machine through its paces. Under F1’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, Hamilton was able to get a feel for Ferrari machinery while driving a car used in a previous season.

In a post-session report, Hamilton described the day as “one of the best feelings of my life.”

“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,” said Hamilton. “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.”

Hamilton completed 30 laps in his session, covering 89 kilometers. Under TPC regulations cars are only allowed to run for a total of 1,000 kilometers across a single team’s drivers.

“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi! But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring,” added Hamilton. “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.”

While Hamilton’s session in the morning was more of an introductory session for the legendary driver to Ferrari machinery, Charles Leclerc’s afternoon session was a much different program. According to the team Leclerc completed 43 laps, “as the SF-23 holds no secrets for him.”

“The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays. It’s good to be back on track, to see that so many fans came out to watch us. 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,” said Leclerc.

“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,” added Leclerc. “Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season.”

Both sessions came under the watchful eyes of Ferrari’s leadership, including Team Principal Frederic Vasseur and Ferrari Vice President Piero Ferrari.

“As is the case every year, the first time you go out on track is a bit like the first day back at school and quite an emotional feeling, especially today as it was Lewis’ first day as part of the team,” said Vasseur. “Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see him fit, relaxed and keen to go racing again.

“As for the technical side, Charles and Lewis did their laps in not the best weather, but they got back in the swing of things and immersed themselves in the track environment prior to the first proper test in a month’s time in Bahrain,” added the Ferrari Team Principal. “It was also a warm-up for the team in the garage. That was the sole purpose of today.”