Lewis Hamilton described his first experience behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula One car as "one of the best feelings of my life" after making his track debut with his new team in Maranello, Italy on Wednesday.

Hamilton completed 30 laps of the Ferrari Fiorano test track in front of fans watching from the nearby Giardini overpass.

Despite the day starting in thick fog and wet conditions, Hamilton said the experience was unlike anything he'd experienced in his F1 career.

"I've been lucky enough to have a lot of firsts in my career, from first test to first race, podiums, wins and championships, so I'm not sure how many more I have left. times, but driving a Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life," he said.

“When I started the car and pulled through the garage door I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was an exciting and special moment , here I am feeling these emotions again almost 20 years later.”

In order to comply with F1's testing regulations, Hamilton left the garage for the first time at 9:16 a.m. local time in a two-year-old car to perform a single lap on wet tires.

Hamilton wore a yellow helmet for the event - the same color he wore in the early stages of his F1 career.

His family, including his father Anthony, mother Carmen and stepmother Linda, were in the garage and were later joined by Piero Ferrari, son of Ferrari founder Enzo.

In the second race, Hamilton switched to slick tires and completed flying laps, starting practice and system checks in the SF-23 car.

Ferrari limited his mileage to 89 kilometers over concerns that new rules for 2025 will limit testing of the championship's previous car (TPC) to 1,000 kilometers per year by drivers participating in the championship.

Hamilton is expected to return to the Circuit de Catalunya later this month in a two-year-old car.

After 30 laps, Hamilton completed a post-meeting with his new engineering team, which included his 2025 race engineer Riccardo Adami.

Adami has largely retained his role after engineering Carlos Sainz, the driver Hamilton was replacing in recent years.

With the work done, the seven-time champion walked onto the track and waved to the fans who had come to watch him take his first lap in the Ferrari.

"I already know from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to Tifosi!" said Hamilton. “But to see it all now as a Ferrari driver is amazing.

"This passion runs through their veins and you can't help but be inspired by it. I'm so grateful for the love everyone in Maranello has shown me this week, we still have a lot of work to do but I can't wait to get started" . "

Hamilton's new team-mate Charles Leclerc also attended the test day and completed 14 laps in the same car.

Team principal Fred Vasseur said his team achieved its goal for the day despite wet weather and limited runs.

He said: “As is the case every year, walking out on the track for the first time is a bit like the first day back at school and it’s very exciting, especially today because it’s Lewis’ first day as part of the team.” .

"It's always an important moment to welcome a new driver. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it's great to see him fit, relaxed and eager to race again.

"As for the technical aspects, Charles and Lewis did a few laps in not the best weather, but they got back into shape and immersed themselves in the track environment ahead of their first proper test in a month in Bahrain," Vasseur continued .

"It's also a warm-up for the team in the garage. That's the only purpose of today."