LEWIS HAMILTON was keen to make a good impression on his first day in the office.
The stylish seven-time world champion is known for strolling into the paddock in a couture outfit that looked fresh off the runway.
AlamyLewis Hamilton turned up in full Ferrari gear[/caption]
EPAHamilton, 40, drove his new car[/caption]
But on the first day of official testing in Bahrain, Hamilton was in bright and early as the second driver to arrive in the paddock, and to many’s surprise he was suited and booted in full Ferrari kit.
He was reunited with his trusted physiotherapist Angela Cullen who was buzzing around the paddock, having left her role as Hamilton’s performance coach in 2023 after seven years together.
The 50-year-old from New Zealand was also on site early and was seen delivering breakfast for Hamilton on a tray, with the Brit still following a strict vegan diet.
Hamilton meant business and was so eager to get in the car that he nearly fell off the back of a golf buggy as he was dropped off at the Ferrari garage with team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The Brit’s iconic No44 has also made the switch and was seen on the side of the red Ferrari car instead of Mercedes‘ black and green, where Hamilton spent the last 12 years.
The number, which pays tribute to Hamilton’s karting days and his dad, has featured since he was eight as it was his dad’s car registration number.
In a previous interview, he said: “I always start with the No44 because that’s the number that I had on my go-kart when I was eight years old.
“It was my dad’s car registration number, F44, so each year, it’s just a new chance to rise to the challenge.”
RexThe seven-time world champion is preparing for his new challenge[/caption]
Hamilton ended his full testing debut for Ferrari in fifth and he was one of the first to emerge from the pit-lane with what looked like spiky armour on the outside of his Ferrari.
The equipment is called an ‘aero rake’ which is a metal frame fitted with multiple sensors that teams attach to different areas of the car.
They are usually behind the front wheels, near the sidepods, or at the rear and they are mounted temporarily during test runs to measure airflow characteristics around the car.
Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz said: “I was interested to see that aero rake on Hamilton’s car on his first run, measuring what’s going on with the front wing.
“It’s one of the technical talking points of the early part of the year.”
Day one of testing in Bahrain was Hamilton’s first chance to get a true feel of the SF-25 car, after the Brit and Leclerc took part in a shakedown last week at Ferrari’s home track at Fiorano.
It would have been tough for him to get up to speed given the short and tight nature of the Italian circuit.
Hamilton will just have 12 hours of running available to him ahead of the first race in Melbourne on March 16.
Most notably, he will have to get to grips with the Ferrari power unit having made the switch from Mercedes.
He has only driven with Mercedes power throughout his career, including during his six years at McLaren.
F1 commentator David Croft added: “There will be huge attention on Lewis, as there always is. Particularly as he makes his first few laps on Ferrari power. His entire career so far has been powered by Mercedes engines.”
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