At least, that's how they behave at Scuderia Ferrari, as if Lewis Hamilton had won his seven world titles with them, and was now preparing for his eighth. Meanwhile, there's a rookie in the team, a certain Charles Leclerc...
However, the situation is exactly the opposite: at Ferrari, Hamilton is the rookie, while Leclerc is the "old hand," and it's not at all certain that the currently overhyped world champion will be able to keep up with him. It's sometimes a bit awkward that the social media channels of one of the world's most famous teams operate practically 24/7 as a LH team fan site—while Leclerc is barely mentioned. Of course, we get it, business is business, this is the time for it, but it still arouses mixed feelings in this person.
But, strictly based on the facts, Lewis Hamilton completed his first laps with Ferrari today, taking to the track in the SF23, completing 30 laps. The Briton completed ten-lap stages, starting exercises, on different compounds, in difficult weather conditions.
Next up was Charles Leclerc, who didn't use slicks, completing his first "warm-up" laps of 2025 entirely on wet tires. Nevertheless, Charles was in his element, and he even put on a little extra show for the many fans gathered for Hamilton's debut, which the crowd naturally welcomed with enthusiasm... More to come soon, with substantial work to be done.
