Lewis Hamilton greeted a crowd of eager fans on Wednesday as he drove a Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time since joining the Italian team for the 2025 season, reports AP. Hamilton took the wheel of a 2023-spec Ferrari SF-23, adorned with his racing number 44, at the team’s Fiorano test track. He sported a new yellow helmet design featuring the iconic Prancing Horse logo. Lewis Hamilton bids emotional farewell to Mercedes, joins Ferrari The 40-year-old British driver began his first lap at 9:16 a.m. local time, amidst light fog, and waved twice to around 1,000 fans who had gathered on a nearby bridge despite the chilly, damp conditions. Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari has made waves in F1 following his 12-year stint at Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles. He has described the move as fulfilling a childhood dream. “I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve things in my career I never imagined, but I’ve always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to make that dream a reality today,” he said on Monday upon arriving at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters for his first day with the team. Kimi Antonelli named as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Formula 1's Mercedes While F1 restricts teams from testing current-spec cars, the rules are more lenient for older models, like the SF-23 Hamilton drove on Wednesday. Pre-season testing for the new season’s cars is scheduled for February 26-28.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on an “amazing journey” and the most successful partnership in Formula 1 history as he prepares to part ways with Mercedes and join Ferrari. The transition represents a fresh chapter for the 39-year-old Hamilton, whose final season with Mercedes has been challenging. Ferrari’s initial focus next year will likely be on helping Hamilton regain his top form, reports AP. Kimi Antonelli named as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Formula 1's Mercedes “We’re probably not going to finish on a high,” Hamilton remarked on Sunday after enduring a tough race in Qatar, where he placed 12th following penalties, a puncture, and even discussions with Mercedes about retiring the car. Just two days earlier, he admitted he was “definitely not fast anymore” after another disappointing qualifying session. Hamilton’s last race for Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday marks the end of a 12-year tenure with the team. During this period, he secured six of his seven world championships, the most achieved by any F1 driver with a single team. As an all-time legend and Formula 1’s only Black driver, Hamilton’s influence reaches far beyond the racetrack. Lewis Hamilton, Serena Williams part of bid to buy Chelsea In February, Hamilton stunned the F1 world by announcing his move to Ferrari in 2025 — a decision he even kept from his parents. This upcoming shift has loomed over his season. “I’ve had the whole year to process it, with its highs and lows,” Hamilton reflected last week. “I can’t predict how I’ll feel after the race, the days following, or even during Christmas.” Hamilton shared he would deeply miss the “family” atmosphere at Mercedes, cherishing memories like those with Niki Lauda, the late F1 champion instrumental in bringing him to the team. “There’ve been so many special moments, including with Niki — incredible conversations and even arguments,” he said. “This journey has been truly amazing and one I’ve genuinely loved.” Hamilton recalled the challenges of switching teams, recounting a moment in 2013 when he mistakenly stopped at McLaren’s pit during his early days at Mercedes. “It was strange passing my old team in the pit lane, to the point I stopped there once,” he recalled. This season brought emotional highs, such as his triumphant win at the British Grand Prix, ending a 945-day drought, and his victory in Belgium following George Russell’s disqualification. However, Hamilton has struggled since, finishing behind Russell in 10 of the last 12 races, including sprints. Qualifying has posed significant difficulties for Hamilton, forcing him to recover positions on race day. “When you’re consistently starting far back on the grid, it’s almost impossible to compete for wins,” he admitted last week. Hamilton will forego a chance to test the Ferrari at this season’s end due to his Mercedes contract. However, he expressed mixed feelings about beginning his Ferrari career that way. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur wanted Hamilton to drive the car in Abu Dhabi, but Hamilton preferred a private introduction at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track next year. “Driving the red car for the first time in Abu Dhabi didn’t excite me,” Hamilton said. “In an ideal scenario, you’d drive without being seen and do a proper rollout next year. Am I missing out? Certainly.”

The crowded field to buy Chelsea now features 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. A long-standing fan of Arsenal, Hamilton has seized the opportunity to invest in its London rival as three bidders try to buy the Premier League club from sanctioned Russian owner Roman Abramovich. Read: Man United hires Erik ten Hag as 5th manager in 9 years Williams and Hamilton are part of a consortium that features proposed investment from Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the owners of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers who would have to sell their stakes in Premier League club Crystal Palace to buy Chelsea. The reigning world and European champions could be sold for 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) — a record in world sports — given the interest in the west London club. Representatives for Hamilton said he planned to invest more than 10 million pounds ($13 million) in the bid being fronted by former Liverpool and British Airways chairman Martin Broughton and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. Another bid has seen Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca partner with Larry Tanenbaum, who has ownership stakes in Toronto with the NBA’s Raptors, the NHL’s Maple Leafs and the city’s MLS team. Peter Guber, a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is also backing in the group. Another part-owner of the Dodgers, Todd Boehly, is leading another consortium hoping to be announced as the preferred bidder. REad: Juventus to Face Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia Final 2022 A New York-based merchant bank, the Raine Group, has been overseeing the sale process that was announced last month by Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The oligarch has been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union over his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin with assets frozen, including Chelsea. Abramovich has been disqualified from running Chelsea by the Premier League and he cannot profit from the proceeds of the sale, which the British government must approve under terms of a license that allows the team to continue operating.