When is Lewis Hamilton driving in Ferrari test and can you watch it in the UK?
Sir Lewis Hamilton has begun life at Ferrari, with the greatest driver of all-time joining forces with the greatest team of all-time in the most anticipated transfer in Formula 1 history.
It’s a seismic event that technically began on January 1 when Hamilton’s Mercedes contract ended and his Ferrari deal began.
But on Monday, the work officially started as the seven-time world champion arrived at the Maranello factory in Italy.
‘There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days,’ Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
‘I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.
‘Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.’
And it won’t be long before the 40-year-old gets behind the wheel of the famous red cars. Here’s everything you need to know about Hamilton’s Ferrari debut, including when it is and if you can watch it in the UK on TV or live stream.
When is Lewis Hamilton driving in his first Ferrari test?
Reports say Hamilton will spend Monday and Tuesday meeting and greeting staff at Ferrari HQ, including his new race engineer Riccardo Adami, who previously worked with Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel.
His new teammate Charles Leclerc will also be there as the Brit does his seat fitting and conducts simulator running.
Ahead of the official pre-season test, all teams are permitted to run Testing of a Previous Car (TPC), which gives drivers a chance to get back into the swing of things following the winter break.
On Wednesday, Hamilton will hit the track, driving either Ferrari’s 2022 or 2023 car at the Fiorano circuit, next to the Maranello factory.
He is then set to drive in Spain at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – home of the Spanish Grand Prix – next week, before heading to nearby Jerez for a Pirelli tyre test.
All testing days are dependant on the weather but will offer Hamilton the perfect opportunity to acclimatise to his new engineering team.
Can you watch Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari test in the UK?
Usually TPCs are held ‘behind closed doors’, though teams will often film them, using the footage for research or promotional purposes.
As such, it’s very unlikely that Ferrari will broadcast the test live but highlights should be shared later – providing nothing goes wrong.
No doubt, die-hard Tifosi will make their way to Fiorano in order to get just a glimpse of Hamilton in red, but fans in the UK will have to wait.
When is Ferrari’s F1 car launch?
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, a special event – F1 75 – will be held at the O2 arena in London on February 18 where all 10 2025 cars will be unveiled.
Some teams are opting to still do their own car launches however, with Ferrari’s to take place on February 19 at Maranello.
Scuderia boss Fred Vasseur has confirmed that Hamilton or Leclerc will drive the new car on that day.
When is F1 pre-season testing?
The official F1 pre-season test will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit from February 26-28.
Each driver will get one-and-a-half days worth of running and the whole test is set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The 2025 F1 season then gets underway on the weekend of March 14-16 with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne.
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