Hamilton completes first laps with Ferrari at Fiorano (video)

F1 Grand Prix, GP Mexico, Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Ahead of the pre-season testing, seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has completed his first laps in a Ferrari Formula One car at the Italian team's own test track at Fiorano.

Lewis Hamilton announced his shock departure from Mercedes on the 1st of February. The announcement caught the Formula One community by surprise, as the seven-time world champion was set to race for the Brackley-based outfit until the end of 2025.

However, an exit clause in his contract allowed Hamilton to leave the team in 2025 if he wished, and the Briton elected to terminate his contract at the end of the current season and seek for a new challenge at Ferrari next year.

Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in the history of Formula One, tied with the great German seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on the number of world championship titles.

Although Hamilton was not granted an early release from Mercedes, he has now racked up his first laps with Ferrari before the official pre-season testing gets underway in Bahrain.

The Stevenage-born driver completed his first visit to Ferrari's headquarters at Maranello on Monday before carry out a photo shooting yesterday.

Following his first day at Ferrari's Maranello-based headquarters, the 105-time F1 race winner insisted that he will bring "everything [he] has to deliver" for the Scuderia.

"Day one. I’m grateful to John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna and Fred Vasseur for their trust in me and making me part of this family. I’m so excited to start this new era and to meet and work with a hugely talented and inspiring group of people, who have been so welcoming.

"I’m dedicated to bringing everything I have to deliver for the team, the wider organisation and the fans," concluded the seven-time world champion."