Sir Lewis Hamilton at the Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy. FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE
Sir Lewis Hamilton hailed the start of “a new era” for Ferrari after clocking on at the factory in Maranello on his first day with his new team.
Looking more like a Mafia don than a racing driver, Hamilton, dressed in a dark double-breasted suit and long overcoat worn over the shoulders, said on Instagram that it would be a day he “remembered forever”.
“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 posted.
Ferrari disclosed in a statement that Hamilton had spent his first morning visiting the team’s private Fiorano track. “Against the backdrop of founder Enzo Ferrari’s house, in the small square now named after the only other seven-time Formula One world champion, Michael Schumacher, he was met by Ferrari team principal, Frederic Vasseur, and the company’s chief executive, Benedetto Vigna.”
The team added that the “traditional first-day photos” were taken there and that “even the weather helped to make Lewis feel at home, with some typically British overcast skies and drizzle”.
Hamilton, who follows in the footsteps of Nigel Mansell and John Surtees in becoming a British Ferrari driver, then paid a short visit to the Fiorano house and the pit garage with Vasseur and Vigna, which included a look at Enzo Ferrari’s famous office.
The 40-year-old then returned to the Scuderia HQ where he met the management team and Piero Ferrari, the billionaire son of Enzo and current Ferrari vice-chairman, before embarking on “a day-long total immersion programme”, visiting all the various departments to get to know the team.
“The work continues tomorrow with more technical meetings and briefings as preparations get under way for what will be a very busy season,” the statement concluded.
Hamilton added on Instagram: “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.”
Ferrari explored the possibility of giving Hamilton his first run-out at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last month. But in the end Mercedes and Hamilton jointly agreed that would not be appropriate.
Hamilton is expected to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time on the Fiorano test track later this week under F1’s “testing previous car” rules.
Ferrari are tight-lipped on exactly when that outing will be, partly because it depends on the weather, but also because they do not want a scrum of Tifosi, Ferrari’s hardcore fans, to turn up at Maranello.
Those hopes are likely to be in vain, with excitement for Hamilton’s arrival at fever pitch in Italy and rumours of a Wednesday outing gaining traction.
Ferrari have not yet announced who will be running Hamilton on race weekends. Vasseur told Telegraph Sport at a Christmas lunch last month that he had plans on that front but was not yet prepared to divulge them publicly.
It will have to be an English-speaker, although Hamilton did say last season that he would try to learn Italian to integrate better into his new team.
One familiar face for Hamilton at Ferrari will be his old performance coach and physiotherapist Angela Cullen, who is understood to be rejoining Project 44, the global foundation established by the driver, as team physio.
Telegraph Sport understands Cullen will be part of Hamilton’s performance team overseen by Marc Hynes, the former racing driver who rejoined Hamilton’s inner circle last year.
Hamilton and Cullen spent seven years together before splitting in early 2023. The Briton enjoyed his peak years with the 50-year-old New Zealander by his side, claiming four consecutive titles between 2017 and 2020.
Rumours had been rife that the pair were getting back together, intensifying after they both posted Instagram messages on Hamilton’s birthday on January 7, seemingly from the same skiing holiday.
Cullen’s post included an image of herself on the slopes with a small red flag displaying Hamilton’s F1 race number, 44, in the background.
Hamilton credited Cullen with being “one of the greatest things that had happened to him in his life” after their split two years ago.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of people and she’s the single hardest-working woman that I get to be around,” he said. “She’s focused, selfless, and she makes my weekends peaceful.
“Every day I wake up, whatever time it is, she’s just positive – never a single day has she been negative, so that’s very, very important.
“I think it’s important in life to put positive people around you. You can’t be going around with dead-weights, you can’t be going around with people who don’t inspire you to be better and lift you up when you’re down.
“You need to be around people who can do that for you and she’s one of them.”
Hamilton has moved to the Scuderia from Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles and 84 of his 105 race wins in one of the most successful partnerships in F1 history.
He has signed a multi-season contract with the Italian team, meaning he will be with them next year, too, when the sport introduces radical regulations that could shake up the established order significantly.
After a tricky last few years at Mercedes, when he appeared to struggle at times for motivation, Hamilton is adamant he can rediscover his best form in Italy and win what would be a record eighth title.
The Briton is expected to earn more than £50 million ($108m) per season at Ferrari, where he will be paired with Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari launch their new car on February 19 in Maranello, one day after F1’s public launch event at London’s O2 Arena, where all teams and drivers will be paraded on stage with their cars sporting this season’s liveries.
Hamilton will get the first chance to drive his new Ferrari for real at the pre-season test in Bahrain on February 26-28. The new season begins in Australia on March 16.
McLaren won't change their approach despite Norris' crash in Canada.