Hamilton was not alone in putting in some laps at Fiorano, with Charles Leclerc also in action during the afternoon for a different programme to Hamilton. The Monegasque amassed 14 laps, as well as performing some celebratory donuts for the watching fans.
“The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays,” said Leclerc. “It’s good to be back on track, to see that so many fans came out to watch us. Feeling all this excitement surrounding the team is very motivating. It was a good day, even though it was raining a little bit when I was driving.
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“Of course it was nice to be able to see Lewis driving his first laps in a Ferrari, which was a special moment for the team and for him. Now I’m looking forward to being back in the car next week and to really start working hard for the coming season.”
Team boss Vasseur also offered his thoughts following Hamilton’s first laps behind the wheel of a Ferrari, with the fortunes of the Scuderia driver pairing set to be one of the stories of 2025.
“As is the case every year, the first time you go out on track is a bit like the first day back at school and quite an emotional feeling, especially today as it was Lewis’ first day as part of the team,” Vasseur said.
