Motorsport

Lewis Hamilton completes first laps as a Ferrari driver at Fiorano

Following his test at Fiorano, Hamilton is set to complete further miles at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Lewis Hamilton has completed his first laps in a Ferrari (Luca Bruno/AP)
Lewis Hamilton has completed his first laps in a Ferrari (Luca Bruno/AP) (Luca Bruno/AP)
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent

Lewis Hamilton has sealed a lifelong ambition by completing his first laps as a Ferrari driver.

Hamilton, who turned 40 earlier this month, left his garage at 9:16 local time (8:16am GMT) as he took to the Italian team’s private test circuit at Fiorano in foggy conditions.

The seven-time world champion is testing a 2023 Ferrari – the latest model he is allowed to use – and is permitted to drive 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) under Formula One’s rules.

Following his test at Fiorano, Hamilton is set to complete further miles at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya before the sport’s official three-day pre-season test starts in Bahrain on February 26.

Hamilton has enjoyed a whirlwind week at the Italian team’s base in Maranello after meeting up with his new colleagues following his blockbuster transfer from Mercedes.

He posted a picture on his social media accounts dressed in red – an image that attracted 1.5 million ‘likes’ inside an hour of it being uploaded to Instagram.

Hamilton, who is bidding to become the first driver to win eight world titles, said on Monday: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.

“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.”

Hamilton makes the move to Ferrari after 12 seasons at Mercedes – a transfer perceived to be the biggest in the sport’s history – and his first race for his new team will be in Melbourne on March 16.

He is due to take the wraps off his car at Ferrari’s season launch alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc on February 19 in Maranello – a day after the F1 season launch event at the O2 Arena.

Hamilton ended his two-and-a-half year winless streak at the British Grand Prix last July, but finished only seventh in the world championship, 214 points behind Max Verstappen, following a disappointing final season with the team that carried him to six of his seven titles.