'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
F1 fans, especially Tifosi were waiting eagerly to witness Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari. With the first private test held in Fiorano, an army of fans covered the track. Haas driver Esteban Ocon was at Maranello and shared his first-hand experience of the atmosphere in the Italian city when Hamilton arrived.
Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari felt like a huge event for many people. To celebrate this occasion, fans arrived in large numbers to meet the seven-time champion.
At the same time, Esteban Ocon was driving in Ferrari's simulator, owing to the technical partnership between the Italian giant and Haas. He got a chance to see how the 39-year-old's arrival was planned and the fans that had collected outside the Ferrari HQ.
The Frenchman said the atmosphere was crazy for Hamilton and their passion for Ferrari was clearly evident.
Trending
"I was lucky to be in the same place on the same day because I was also at the simulator at Ferrari. So there was a crazy atmosphere, people were like crazy and it's just wonderful to see that there is so much passion for Ferrari, for F1 in the world and that it is growing non-stop. And it's clear that having the greatest driver of our generation in the most titled team is just crazy. So yeah, I can't wait to be able to fight on the track with him, that's for sure," Ocon said.
After Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's first run with the team was done at Fiorano, the pair geared up for their second test at the Circuit de Barcelona.
Lewis Hamilton reportedly crashed his Ferrari at Circuit de Catalunya
While the seven-time champion had been aiming to get more mileage accomplished in the Ferrari machinery, his run ended prematurely. According to motorsport.com, during the morning session on January 29, Hamilton crashed his SF-23 into the barriers.
Though Hamilton escaped unscathed, the same could not be said for the SF-23. The car is understood to have suffered major aerodynamic and suspension damage, which would require a change in Ferrari's schedule for the testing runs.
After the pair's runs, it was expected that the SF-23 would be handed to the team's development drivers as a major chunk of the TPC allowance had already been used. However, this crash could prompt a change of plan for the junior drivers as major repair work is needed.
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton would get the first taste of the 2024 Ferrari challenger a week later (February 4-5) on the same track under Pirelli's testing program. He would be running a mule car, which would not behave exactly like the SF-24 did a year earlier but would still help him get up to speed.
