Hamilton Ferrari debut date revealed

Lewis Hamilton's long-awaited Ferrari debut is just a handful of days away. The seven-time world champion set F1 on fire in early 2024 by announcing he would switch to the Scuderia. 

Hamilton will be hunting for his eighth world title, with the hope of ending Ferrari's 16-year championship drought and putting himself clear of Michael Schumacher. 

Ahead of becoming a Ferrari driver, the 40-year-old endured a disappointing final season with Mercedes. His highlights included two victories in Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, although finished behind team-mate George Russell. 

Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, who performed very strongly last year and is seen as a possible world champion in the upcoming campaign.

To get Hamilton ready for the official pre-season test and the first grand prix in Australia, Ferrari has scheduled tests. These are the so-called TPC tests (Testing of Previous Cars). 

RacingNews365 understands that Hamilton will be in action for the first time on January 22 at the Ferrari circuit in Fiorano. Ferrari will use the 2022 SF-75. 

Of course, the date does depend on possible last-minute changes, for example, due to weather. Leclerc is also expected to get behind the wheel.

Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari's CEO, already confirmed last week that Hamilton will travel to Maranello. He revealed that during a conference in Milan. 

"There is a lot of enthusiasm and a great desire to start," said Vigna. "Lewis will be at Ferrari next week. We are making the final preparations."

It is expected that Hamilton will step into the simulator first and then complete the test on the track. Later, Ferrari and Hamilton will travel to Barcelona to complete another week of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya. 

There is a limit to TPC testing, though, as F1 drivers are allowed to drive a total of 1,000 kilometres a year, spread over a maximum of four days.