Lewis Hamilton made his first comments after the long day at Fiorano, which included an emotional salute to the crowd.
Today marked the much-anticipated debut on track, with Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of a Ferrari. The seven-time world champion did not disappoint, driving in the morning in front of a packed crowd that, despite the adverse weather conditions, had gathered at the Fiorano bridge from the early hours of the day.
A warm welcome for the British driver, who, after the morning session (in the afternoon, Leclerc took to the track), personally went to greet the crowd, with Ferrari fans in a frenzy over something that, just a few years ago, seemed like pure fantasy.
Hamilton himself was pleasantly surprised, to put it mildly, by the reception from the fans, as shown by his words. These are Lewis’ statements at the end of the day at Fiorano: “So far in my career, I’ve been lucky enough to experience many ‘first times’: my first test, my first race, my first podium, my first win, and my first championship. So I wasn’t sure how many more special ‘firsts’ I would experience, but driving a Ferrari for the first time this morning was one of the best moments of my life.
When I started the car and drove out of the garage, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, such an exciting and special moment. Today, almost twenty years later, I felt those same emotions again. I already knew, as an outsider, how passionate the great Ferrari family is, from every team member to the fans! But to experience all of this firsthand as a driver for Scuderia is truly extraordinary.”
Hamilton then concluded: “Passion runs through everyone’s veins, and it’s impossible not to be swept away by it. I am incredibly grateful for the affection I have felt from everyone here in Maranello this week. There’s a lot of work to do, but I can’t wait to get started.”