Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari drive 'one of the best feelings of my life' - ESPN

Lewis Hamilton has described his first experience behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car as «one of the best feelings of my life» after making his track debut with his new team in Maranello on Wednesday.

Hamilton completed 30 laps of Ferrari's Fiorano test track in front of a gathering of fans watching from the nearby Giardini overpass.

Although the day started in thick fog and wet conditions, Hamilton said the experience was unlike any other in his F1 career.

«I've been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn't sure how many more firsts I had, but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life,» he said.

«When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost 20 years later, feeling those emotions all over again.»

Driving a 2-year-old car to comply with F1's testing regulations, Hamilton left the garage for the first time at 9:16 a.m. for a single installation lap on wet tyres.

Hamilton was sporting a yellow helmet for the occasion — the same colour he used in the early stages of his F1 career.

Members of his family, including his father Anthony, mother Carmen and stepmother Linda, were present in the garage and were later joined by Piero Ferrari, the son of Ferrari founder Enzo.

For his second run, Hamilton switched to slick tyres and completed flying laps, practice starts and system checks in the SF-23 car.

Ferrari limited his mileage to 89 kilometers, wary of a new rule for 2025 that restricts