Lewis Hamilton made his first appearance as a Ferrari driver yesterday, marking a dramatic shift after 12 years with Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion cut an elegant figure at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters, wearing a long overcoat, dark suit and tie with a white shirt.
The 40-year-old posed for photographs in front of Enzo Ferrari’s former residence, with images released by the Italian team showing his arrival.
Hamilton then visited the Fiorano circuit for meetings with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Ferrari’s managing director Benedetto Vigna.
Lewis Hamilton has a new tattoo ahead of the F1 season
The British driver also held discussions with his new track engineer, Riccardo Adami, and other team members.
Ahead of his Ferrari debut, Hamilton has unveiled a new neck tattoo bearing the numbers “11:11”.
The meaningful design pays tribute to his mother, whose birthday falls on November 11.
The tattoo was revealed in images shared on social media by the artist, showing Hamilton in casual attire including a vest, tracksuit bottoms and beanie hat.
The tattoo artist expressed excitement about Hamilton’s new chapter at Ferrari, writing on Instagram: “I’m so excited about your new chapter bro. For his Mum 11:11.”
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Hamilton expressed enthusiasm about joining the iconic Italian team on his first day.
“Today we start a new chapter in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together,” he said in a press release.
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Lewis Hamilton has joined Ferrari after 12 seasons with Mercedes
The British champion reflected on the significance of the moment, stating: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a driver, is one of those days.”
Ferrari fans gathered outside the Maranello facility in the early hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of their new star driver.
Hamilton is set to take his first drive in Ferrari colours tomorrow at the team’s Fiorano test track, weather permitting.
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Lewis Hamilton’s new tattoo is a tribute to his mother, Carmen Larbalestier
PA
The British driver will be behind the wheel of a 2023 Ferrari, the most recent model allowed under Formula 1’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rules.
These regulations permit Hamilton up to 1,000km of in-house practice with the Italian team.
The former Mercedes driver has just over a month to acclimatise to his new surroundings before pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on February 26.