"Settling in": Lewis Hamilton shares behind the scenes stuff on his first day driving a Ferrari

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton shared behind-the-scene content of his much-awaited first day at the Italian team on his social media. The British driver made his first public appearance as a Scuderia driver to much fanfare on January 20 and was greeted by the top team personnel.

Hamilton then met his new team members in the factory to immerse himself in the outfit as soon as possible. However, thousands gathered outside the team's private track in Fiorano on early January 22 to catch their first glimpse of Hamilton driving the red car.

After several laps in the SF-23 in the morning session, the seven-time F1 world champion greeted the waiting fans. Lewis Hamilton, on his Instagram, shared a series of pictures showcasing the behind-the-scene of the iconic moment. He wrote in his caption:

"Settling in. Thank you to the Tifosi and everyone at Ferrari for the warm welcome."

Hamilton was only allowed limited time inside the car, as he was sharing his duties with new teammate Charles Leclerc, who took over the reins in the afternoon to get his first drive of the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton shares his thoughts after his first run in a Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton stated that driving the Ferrari car for the first time was "one of the best feelings of my life" after doing around 30 laps in the 2023 challenger SF-23. The British driver termed the moment "exciting" and "special" while also commenting on the Tifosi outside the track to see his first glimpse.

While expressing his emotions on the team's official website, the 40-year-old said:

"I wasn’t sure how many more "firsts" I had but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning, was one of the best feelings of my life. When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face.

"I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi! But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring. That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energized by it.

Lewis Hamilton will have another couple of days inside the SF-23 in the coming days as he will be running the car at the Circuit de Catalunya to gather some representative information.

The former Mercedes driver will have a quick adjustment period to the mechanisms of the car before jumping in the simulator to get his first feel of the 2025 challenger, ahead of the car launch in February next month.