The start of the new year saw Lewis Hamilton make his long-awaited move to Ferrari official, and he marked it with some short messages on social media.
The seven-time World Champion perhaps nodded to what’s coming next while posting an Instagram story wearing a red jacket, helmet and goggles while he appears to be away on the ski slopes, along with an updated profile picture from his karting days.
Hamilton is still away on his winter break, with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur having said his first laps in red are likely to come later in January, testing a previous car.
With his move from Mercedes having been made official at the turn of the new year, however, Hamilton opted to change his profile picture from him in his early days at the Silver Arrows, to one of what looked to be among his earliest days in karting, wearing yellow overalls and a red helmet and gloves, while in a kart with his number, 44, on the front.
His version of the post on X has since gained more than 180,000 likes on X at time of writing, as he gets set for a new era at Ferrari.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) January 1, 2025
Two reruns followed later that day, with one of Ferrari’s posts stating it was “the best time to go” and mentioning Hamilton, appropriately posted at 4:44pm. in Maranello, matching Hamilton’s race numbers and through Charles Leclerc.
This was followed by a rebroadcast of Ferrari’s report from last February, which announced Hamilton’s move to the Scuderia from Mercedes.
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For Ferrari’s part, they played their part by following Hamilton on their social media channels – as well as the account set up for his dog, Roscoe – and posted on Instagram to say “Welcome to the family” – which gained more than 460,000 likes at time of writing.
When he was looking ahead to what his move to Ferrari might bring, Hamilton told media including PlanetF1.com in Abu Dhabi: “Of course it really sparks motivation and it’s a dream scenario for any driver to have an opportunity like this. So, don’t take that for granted.
“Also, enormous respect for Carlos [Sainz] and everything he has done within the team.
“When I joined Mercedes, it’s not an easy step to get into a new team, and it takes time to build new relationships and be informed about the team and everything.
“Preparing next year with the same focus, the same strength that I had when I joined Mercedes and in the end taking that leap of faith, I think is exciting and exhilarating. “
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