Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony Hamilton, has provided an insight into his son’s intense preparations for his Ferrari debut.
The seven-time world champion completed his switch to Ferrari this week with a visit to the team’s factory in Maranello, where he made his official debut in red.
In a highly publicised event, Hamilton was introduced to the team before he took to their private test circuit, Fiorano, for his first laps in a Ferrari car.
The 40-year-old’s first drive with the team was in their 2023 car, the SF-23, as part of the TPC (Testing of Previous Car) rules, where teams can only use cars older than two years in test sessions to prevent them from gaining an advantage over their rivals.
Hamilton’s dad reveals Ferrari test details
As Hamilton greeted the Tifosi in Maranello, the champion was joined by familiar faces to celebrate the major moment in his career.
The Brit’s mother, Carmen Larbalestier, was spotted capturing pictures of her son as he greeted Ferrari fans at Fiorano.
Now, Hamilton’s father, Anthony, had revealed the intense details of how the champion prepared for his Ferrari debut, and compared it to his first day at McLaren back in 2007, Hamilton’s first year in the sport.
According to the Daily Mail, Hamilton’s father was convinced that his son would join Ferrari and discussed the emotions after Hamilton's debut.
“You know what? This feels just like the first day at McLaren,” he said.
Hamilton Sr also revealed that Lewis had trained ‘like mad’ over the winter and that his focus and belief had intensified ahead of his Ferrari debut.
The champion will drive Ferrari's 2025 challenger for the first time at pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 26th.