Lewis Hamilton says he has “realised his dream” and his first official day at Ferrari marked a “new era in the history of this iconic team”.

Hamilton, 40, began his preparations for his debut season with his new team on Monday at the Ferrari factory in Maranello.

The seven-time world champion signed for Ferrari in January last year but contractual commitments to Mercedes prevented any substantive contacts until the end of 2024.

“There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days,” he said in a post on Instagram.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career 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.

“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.”

Hamilton will spend his first day meeting key people and getting to know the factory and team. He is also likely to try out the 2025 car in the team’s simulator.

The Briton is expected to drive a 2023 F1 car at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track later in the week, and will complete further days in it at Barcelona before the launch of the 2025 Ferrari on 19 February.

The 2023 car is the most recent Hamilton is permitted to drive under F1’s testing restrictions.

Among the differences to which he will have to adapt is that this will be the first time in Hamilton’s 18-year F1 career that he has driven a car that does not use a Mercedes engine.

Official F1 pre-season testing is at Bahrain on 26-28 February, where Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc will share the three days of running equally.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur has said that Hamilton faces “a challenge” getting up to speed in the short time available before the start of the season in Australia from 14-16 March.

Vasseur said at Ferrari’s Christmas lunch last month: “It is not easy but he is coming with his own experience. But he is not the rookie of the year, I am not worried at all about this.”

Hamilton will have a place to live in Italy to help his assimilation into Ferrari, which is regarded as the national team.

Hamilton and Ferrari will appear alongside the other teams at the official F1 launch at London’s O2 Arena on 18 February before returning to Italy for Ferrari’s unveiling of the new car the following day.