Lewis Hamilton's F1 rival goes behind scenes at Ferrari and sees something 'crazy'

The reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s first drive in a Ferrari left one of his F1 rivals shocked. This week the seven-time world champion drove for the Italian team for the second time, taking part in three days of testing in Barcelona.

It didn’t go smoothly, with Hamilton suffering a crash on the second day that prematurely ended his and Charles Leclerc’s session.

But prior to heading to Spain, the seven-time world champion completed some exploratory laps at Ferrari’s traditional testing track in Fiorano.

The fanfare around his involvement was proof of the excitement and intrigue his move from Mercedes has generated. Despite inclement weather making for poor visibility, more than 1,000 fans crammed into the venue just to get a glimpse of the 40-year-old driving the team’s 2023 car.

And one interested spectator was Haas driver Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman was at the track for his own practice reasons, and was left taken aback by the size of the crowd.

“I was lucky enough to be in the same place and on the same day because I was also at the simulator at Ferrari,” he told Canal+. “There was a crazy atmosphere there.

“People were going crazy and it’s just magnificent in fact to see that there is so much passion for Ferrari, and of course Formula One, in the world. It (the sport) is growing all the time.”

Hamilton has signed a lucrative two-year deal with the Scuderia having struggled in his last three seasons with the Silver Arrows. But Ocon also implied Hamilton’s form since the 2021 campaign had not affected his legacy.

“It is clear that, well, to have the greatest driver of our generation in the most successful team it is just a crazy thing,” continued the 28-year-old. “So, I can’t wait to be able to fight on the track with him.”

Ferrari head into the 2025 season looking to win their first drivers’ title since 2007. It was Kimi Raikkonen who prevailed that season, ironically at the expense of then McLaren driver Hamilton.

The Italian giants have also been waiting since 2008 to land the constructors’ crown. However, their current marker of 15 still represents a record number in F1.