Italian racer shares intriguing details about Lewis Hamilton's first run with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton tried "different stuff" with the SF-23 during his first test run with Ferrari at the Fiorano track, Italian racer Vicky Piria said. She revealed he was focused on learning new things about the previous season's models and inculcating as much knowledge as he could before his race debut in Australia.

Hamilton's transfer to Ferrari was officially conducted on January 20, 2025, at the team's factory in Maranello. He had a detailed tour of the premises and met with key people, including chairman John Elkann, CEO Benedetto Vigna, and team principal Fred Vassuer.

Hamilton went to the Fiorano track on January 22 for his first test run with the Italian team. He was given an SF-23 to drive for the TPC test. He reportedly did 30 laps in foggy weather. The track was also damp amid chilly conditions.

Sharing details of Lewis Hamilton's test run, Vicky Piria, the Italian racer who competes in the GP3 series, told Sky Italia:

“Even though it was really damp, wet, and really cold, we saw Lewis Hamilton try different stuff. We saw him work a bit with the E-Diff, we saw him work with the brake balance, and we saw some locking. He wasn’t just going around and doing installation laps; he was actually trying things. Not pushing, pushing, but trying things.

That’s him getting into the momentum, understanding things, the settings on the steering wheel, and how they work. They learn everything on the sim but then actually transfer the feelings onto the real track."

Hamilton reportedly had a good feeling about his test run in Fiorano and Barcelona. Moreover, for the Pirelli tire test, the Brit reportedly drove a modified version of the SF-24 and had a good experience. His TPC test limit is exhausted, and he will now get an opportunity to drive the 2025 season model during the pre-season test run in Bahrain.

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Bernie Ecclestone predicts a tough time for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton Tests For Ferrari (Image Source: Getty)

Lewis Hamilton's induction into Ferrari was a buzzing affair as the Tifosi crowd took over the streets of Maranello to welcome the new driver with warmth and support. However, former F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has raised doubt on his long-term future with the team.

In his interview with the Telegraph, Ecclestone said:

"Lewis Hamilton won’t last that long. I don’t think he will get the same attention at Ferrari. Firstly, the team is happy with Charles Leclerc, his teammate. Leclerc speaks their language [he is fluent in Italian], so they’ll be looking after him. Even if Lewis does well, there’ll still be a lot of enemies because he has suddenly arrived."

Charles Leclerc has been with Ferrari since 2019 and signed a multi-year extension contract last season. However, the team has made significant investments in Hamilton, which will likely affect the lineup dynamics in the upcoming season.