Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated first Formula 1 run with Ferrari will likely take place in the team’s 2022 car early next year, following the announcement that he will not participate in the post-season Abu Dhabi test. The seven-time world champion will join Ferrari in 2025 after a long 12-year stint with Mercedes, marking a major shift in his F1 career.
Ferrari had hoped to get a jumpstart on their partnership with Hamilton by having him participate in the Abu Dhabi test, which occurs the Tuesday following the season finale in December. However, it has now been confirmed that Hamilton will not be available for the test. Mercedes has committed the British driver to end-of-year promotional duties, including an appearance for the team’s title sponsor, Petronas, on the same day as the Abu Dhabi test.
With Hamilton unable to take part in the post-season test, Ferrari will have to wait until 2024 to get the 38-year-old behind the wheel of a Ferrari car. The team is planning to take advantage of its Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) days to give Hamilton his first taste of a Ferrari F1 car. These TPC days allow teams to run cars from the previous three seasons. In this case, Ferrari is likely to give Hamilton a run in its 2022 car, the F1-75, at the team’s Fiorano test track, located near their Maranello headquarters.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur expressed confidence that Hamilton would quickly adapt to the Ferrari setup. “I’m not sure that he needs tons of hours of acclimatisation,” Vasseur told Autosport. “He has enough experience to be quick on the first day, or at least very soon. We’ll have one or two TPC days, plus the test in Bahrain, and that will be enough.”
Following the TPC days, Hamilton will also have the opportunity to test Ferrari’s 2025 challenger during the pre-season test in Bahrain, as per F1 regulations, which prevent teams from running their new cars outside of official testing sessions.
Vasseur also mentioned that while the team is already developing a comprehensive program to help Hamilton integrate into Ferrari’s operations before the start of the 2025 season, he personally has not yet engaged in the details. “For sure we have part of the team already focusing on ’25, on the test plan, on the communication and so, with Lewis being part of this. But not on the race team, and it’s not on my mind,” Vasseur added.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is one of the most significant developments in recent F1 history, and fans will be eagerly awaiting his first run with the Scuderia. As the 2024 season approaches, the excitement around Hamilton’s new chapter with Ferrari continues to build.
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