Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at Maranello
Ferrari has officially confirmed that the first Formula 1 car to be raced by Lewis Hamilton will be unveiled at the team's factory in Maranello on February 19. This highly anticipated event comes as Hamilton embarks on a new chapter in his storied career, joining Ferrari after a 12-year tenure with Mercedes.
Hamilton's new contract with Ferrari, which begins in January, will see him team up with Charles Leclerc. Both drivers are scheduled to attend Formula 1's 75th anniversary launch event in London on February 18, where all ten teams will reveal their liveries on stage at the O2 Arena. The day after, they will travel to Maranello for the separate launch event of the actual Ferrari car.
Ahead of the car's official launch, Hamilton is expected to make his on-track debut with Ferrari through the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulation. This rule permits teams to run cars that are at least two years old, providing valuable track time before the new car's debut. However, the exact date for Hamilton's first appearance in Ferrari colors remains undecided.
"We will have the occasion to do a TPC or Pirelli test day," confirmed team principal Fred Vasseur. "But it's closely linked to the weather, and we didn't take a decision [on the date]."
Before the first race in Australia on March 16, three days of preseason testing are scheduled in Bahrain from February 26 to 28. Hamilton and Leclerc will share the testing duties. Despite the limited track time, Vasseur is confident in Hamilton's ability to adapt quickly, owing to his 18 years of F1 experience.
"It's always a challenge, starting from the beginning of January until the launch of the season on the 19th or 18th of Feb in London, and we will do the launch on the 19th in Maranello," Vasseur said. "It's critical that you have only six weeks [between Hamilton arriving and the first test], it's not easy. But I think he's also coming with his own experience. He's not the rookie of the year."
Ferrari finished 14 points behind champions McLaren in the constructors' championship this year, with five race victories—their best season since 2018. Vasseur believes that the team is on the brink of ending its championship drought, which dates back to 2008.
"What we have to do to win next year is about details," Vasseur said. "We made good improvements I think on every single area. We are still missing 14 points on the championship. Fourteen points, it's a lot, and almost nothing. It's a DNF, it's a race incident, it's a strategic decision."
He emphasized the importance of focusing on every detail, as every single mistake or decision can have a significant impact. "Next year I'm sure the championship will be also tight, and that we can't let one point run away."
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloSince taking charge at Ferrari at the start of the 2023 season, Vasseur has led the team back to the front of the grid. However, he insists that there is still much work to be done.
"This is a no-end project," he added. "You have to keep the approach of continuous improvement, to change, or to try to improve on every single department, day after day. And if at one stage you say, OK, this is my team, I think you are dead, because everybody else will improve and try to do a better job tomorrow than today."
Vasseur's vision is long-term, emphasizing the need for ongoing development and adaptation, even if the team achieves success next year. "Even if we are winning next year, I think we have to keep in mind the fact that we have to continue to develop, to develop and to improve."
Ferrari fans around the world will be eagerly watching as Hamilton and Leclerc prepare to lead the iconic team into what promises to be an exciting new era.
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