Ferrari have announced that the name of their upcoming F1 challenger, a car that will be shown on February 19, the day after the F1 season launch in London, is to be called the SF-25. It is meant to coincide with Ferrari’s naming system that was used in the previous two seasons, when the 2023 car was called the SF-23, and the one for 2024 was named SF-24. This car will also be the car Hamilton races in for his first season with the team. However, it will not be the first Ferrari he has driven, with the Britain partaking in many outings at both Ferrari’s track Fiorano as well as Barcelona, with more to come. Here’s a brief recap of the latest events.
January 22: Hamilton Drives a Ferrari F1 Car for the First Time
This exciting event for Ferrari and Lewis fans alike came amid Hamilton’s first week with the team, which was an “immersion program” to help him get settled with his new F1 team before the 2025 season officially got under way. Eventually, on Wednesday, we saw Hamilton don the red race suit and complete his first lap in a Ferrari at the Fiorano track, an event that every F1 fan will surely remember forever.
January 28: Second Time in a Ferrari, This Time at Barcelona
On Tuesday, Hamilton jumped into a Ferrari for the second time, taking Charles Leclerc’s place halfway through the day. The pair was not done with their test outing in Spain, however, which will be covered next.
January 29: Hamilton Crashes During Testing Day 2 with Ferrari
Luckily, Lewis escaped unhurt after the crash, and the Ferrari team was working hard to recover the car in order to allow Leclerc time to drive as well. However, the team in not concerned and are believing the incident to be a consequence of a driver growing accustomed to the limits and expectations of the machine.
Meanwhile, testing restrictions also limit the team’s drivers maximum amount of kilometers they can complete in old-spec cars (1000). But beyond test outings, Hamilton will also be able to get more time driving in a Ferrari, with the Pirelli tire test at the Barcelona venue on February 4th and 5th. The test will be for the 2026 Pirelli tire types, and Ferrari will go out on track along with Mclaren. And of course, the days are slowly winding down to when the 2025 Ferrari will be revealed, and from there it’s only a week until pre-season testing in Bahrain, on February 26.
