Lewis Hamilton, seven-time World Champion, expressed his joy on social media after visiting Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello for the first time on Monday. Hamilton is preparing for his first season with the iconic Ferrari team, having switched from Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton shared another update, this time with a shot of himself standing outside the facility in a sleek all-black suit alongside a Ferrari F40 sports car.
The British racer expressed appreciation for fulfilling his dream of racing for Ferrari. This week, Hamilton is anticipated to do a variety of pre-season chores at Maranello, including meeting team personnel and conducting simulator work, in preparation for his first, yet-to-be-confirmed, Ferrari F1 run. Hamilton finished seventh in the previous Formula One season, trailing Mercedes teammate George Russell by 223 points and winning two races in the British and Belgian Grand Prix.
The former Mercedes driver drove his farewell race for Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month, finishing fourth ahead of Russell to complete his 11-year relationship with the Silver Arrows. Hamilton also spent time with important members of his new crew, including Riccardo Adami, the track engineer. Hamilton will team up with Charles Leclerc in an attempt to capture Ferrari’s first driver’s title since Kimi Räikkönen won in 2007.
Lewis Hamilton Swaps Dominance
The Briton endured his poorest Formula One season in terms of championship position last year, placing seventh overall, but he did win two races after going two years without a win. Hamilton’s latest title victory came in 2020. He replaces Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who has joined Williams. However, due to weather circumstances, he is unlikely to have his first drive at the Fiorano test circuit until Wednesday, when official testing begins in Bahrain on February 26-28.
Hamilton wrote in a post 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 that I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2017 season.
