Details of Ferrari's extensive F1 test plan for Lewis Hamilton emerge

Lewis Hamilton is set to conduct substantial running with Ferrari this month to help get him up to speed with his new F1 team.

The seven-time world champion officially became a Ferrari driver on 1 January after completing a blockbuster switch from Mercedes following an illustrious 12-season stint with the Silver Arrows.

Hamilton was unable to take part in the post-season Abu Dhabi test with Ferrari last month due to his contractual obligations with Mercedes but he is set to get his first outing with the Italian outfit later this month at the team’s Fiorano test track.

The exact date for Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari run will be weather dependent, but it is expected to take place on either 20 or 21 January.

Hamilton will then get another three days behind the wheel of a Ferrari before the end of the month, according to several reports.

Motorsport and Sky Italy both claim that Ferrari have booked out the Barcelona circuit in the last days of January to give Hamilton further time to adapt to his new team.

Ferrari have reportedly booked the Spanish Grand Prix venue for at least four days.  They will only be permitted to run for three of them, but the additional dates will provide flexibility for Hamilton to test in the best weather conditions.

Hamilton’s first Ferrari outings will come under the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars), which enables teams to run a used car that is at least two years old to complete a maximum of 1000km over four days.

F1’s sporting regulations state: “Each Competitor may complete a maximum of one thousand (1000) kilometres of TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] in each calendar year using drivers entered in the Championship, or which they intend to enter in the Championship, such distance being accumulated over a maximum of four (4) of the days allowed under Article 10.2f.”

The rules have been tweaked for 2025 after Max Verstappen tested Red Bull’s 2022 car at Imola in the build-up to last year’s Spanish Grand Prix as the team looked to cure weaknesses with their RB20.

It has not yet been decided whether Hamilton, who turns 40 on 7 January, will drive Ferrari’s 2023 car the SF-23, or its predecessor - the F1-75 from 2022.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has insisted he is “not worried at all” about Hamilton’s assimilation into the team.

"It is not easy but he is coming with his own experience," Vasseur said. "But he is not the rookie of the year, I am not worried at all about this.

“It is also the continuity of the previous regulations so we have some reference. I am not worried but it is true it is a challenge."

Hamilton ‘could not be more excited’

In his first comments since joining Ferrari, Hamilton said he “could not be more excited” to embark on his new career.

"Moving to Scuderia Ferrari, there's a lot to reflect on,” he wrote on social media.

"To anyone considering their next move in 2025: embrace the change.

"Whether you're switching industries, learning a new skill, or even just taking on new challenges, remember that reinvention is powerful. Your next opportunity is always within reach."

One day after F1’s official season launch at the O2 in London on 18 February, Ferrari will unveil their 2025 challenger.

Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc will drive Ferrari’s new car during pre-season testing on 26-28 February in Bahrain.

Hamilton will then make his Ferrari race debut at the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March.