Maranello (Italy), Jan 20 : Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton shared his excitement on social media after visiting Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello for the first time on Monday. Hamilton is gearing up for his inaugural season with the legendary team, Ferrari, having made the switch from Mercedes to replace Carlos Sainz and partner Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton posted another update, featuring a photo of him standing outside the factory in a sharp all-black suit, alongside a Ferrari F40 sports car. The British driver expressed gratitude for achieving his dream of racing for Ferrari.

"There are some days that you know you'll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days. I've been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career that I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn't be happier to realise that dream today," Hamilton wrote in a post on Instagram.

"Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can't wait to see what story we will write together," he added.

This week, Hamilton is expected to complete various pre-season tasks at Maranello, including meeting team members and conducting simulator work, ahead of his first, yet-to-be-confirmed, run in a Ferrari F1 car.

Hamilton finished the last Formula 1 season behind Mercedes teammate George Russell at seventh place with 223 points including two race wins in British GP and Belgian GP. Hamilton drove his final race with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month and finished fourth ahead of Russell to end his 11-year-long association with the Silver Arrows.

The 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli will fill Hamilton's shoes at Mercedes for the upcoming season with Valtteri Bottas in reserve.

/IANS