Lewis Hamilton F1 backing delivers DREAM result in shock Ferrari appearance

Lewis Hamilton greeting the Tifosi at Ferrari's test circuit Fiorano in 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton backing delivers DREAM result in shock Ferrari appearance

A star of the future visited the team

Chris Deeley

Sunday 2 February 2025 13:06 Updated: 12:33

A Lewis Hamilton-backed driver has made a shock Ferrari appearance, ahead of the much-anticipated 2025 season.

The seven-time world champion moved to the Scuderia over the winter and has wasted no time making himself a fan favourite in Italy, starting with his first test with the team at their Maranello base.

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The Brit hasn't had it all his own way in the iconic red though, with this week's behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona seeing him crash badly enough that his car needed to be brought back to the garage for repairs.

The Italian team haven't been hanging around during the off-season, making key additions around Hamilton as they attempt to climb back to the summit of the sport after a decade dominated by Mercedes and Red Bull.

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Ferrari have finally dropped the official 2025 merch, click here to shop Hamilton's debut kit in red.

F1 stars of the future collide

While Ferrari Academy driver Maya Weug isn't a new driver as such, Ferrari announced this week that the 20-year-old will move from Prema to MP Motorsport in F1 Academy as she looks to improve on last year's third-placed finish in the all-female racing series.

Weug may or may not be the future of the team, but she's already helping them plan even further down the road – with an Instagram video chronicling her showing a social media sensation around Maranello and giving her some driving tips.

Nine-year-old Mahi Maru went viral last year when she talked about her dream of becoming an F1 driver, a video which made it all the way to Hamilton, who she named as her favourite driver, who called her 'so focused'.

Hamilton wasn't available to show the youngster the ropes, but Weug proved the perfect mentor, and the pair worked together to cut seconds off her lap times almost immediately.

It seems the post shared by social media sensation Simon Squibb, Weug, Maru and the F1's governing body, the FIA, even caught the attention of F1 Academy, with the official account commenting on the wholesome post: "Incredible. This is the future."

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2025 season Italy