Exciting times are approaching for Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. According to news in Italy, Hamilton will first drive in a Ferrari simulator on February 20 and then sit in the cockpit of one of Ferrari’s old F1 cars.
After winning 7 world championships and over a hundred victories with McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton officially became a Ferrari driver as of 2025. Hamilton has not made any appearances with his new team so far. Therefore, the excitement between Hamilton and Ferrari fans is increasing day by day.
According to the news from AutoRacer, Hamilton has made several private and unofficial visits before. However, the coming days will be critical for Hamilton to get used to Ferrari.
There is an optimism and excitement within Ferrari, just like in the old days, due to this long-awaited union. Hamilton will officially start his new journey at Scuderia Ferrari in a few days.
As part of Hamilton’s process of getting used to his new team, meetings with engineers, simulator work and track tests will be held in Maranello.
Hamilton will drive in simulator first, then on track
Initial information is that Hamilton will drive in simulator on January 20 in Maranello. Following this work, we will see Hamilton in Ferrari’s F1 car for the first time.
The plan is for Hamilton’s first test with Ferrari to be on January 22. However, this program may change depending on the weather conditions. Ferrari has reserved the Fiorano track for January 21-22-23 in order to have flexibility for the test to take place.
Hamilton will use the F1-75 car in his first test with Ferrari.
Changes in Testing Rules
Ferrari is one of the teams that use the most tests with past vehicles (TPC). In addition to Fiorano, the Mugello track is also used for this purpose. However, some rule changes have been made to the tests this year.
According to the new rules, each team will be able to do a maximum of 20 test days per year using only one car. In addition, a mileage limit has been introduced for all drivers registered for the Formula 1 championship. Pilots will be able to test 1,000 kilometers with the vehicles used in the 2021-2022 championships over a maximum of four days. Another important innovation is related to the vehicles that can be used. The requirement that only vehicles that have competed at least two seasons ago be used has now been removed and a calendar year reference has been introduced. This means that the SF-23 will also be available for testing for Ferrari.
Team Harmony Process
From Hamilton’s first drive on January 22, it will be vital for him to ensure harmony within the team, learn Ferrari’s working processes and establish proper communication with his engineers. Hamilton is particularly expected to achieve harmony with track engineer Riccardo Adami.
