Lewis Hamilton’s birthday and his first celebration in Red: Ferrari’s tribute. The first birthday dressed in red for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Today, January 7, 2025, Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first birthday as an official driver of Scuderia Ferrari. The seven-time world champion reaches an important milestone—turning 40—remaining the second-oldest driver in the paddock, behind only Fernando Alonso. For this special occasion, the Maranello team wasted no time and shared their gift for the Briton.

This factor of age has sparked significant debate among fans since Hamilton’s confirmation as a Ferrari driver during the 2024 season. Many did not understand the decision by team principal Frédéric Vasseur, who replaced the just-over-30-year-old Carlos Sainz with a driver in the later stages of his long career.

However, this situation seems to be a bit different. Despite his age, as demonstrated on several occasions last season, Lewis Hamilton still has what it takes to fight for top positions. Let’s consider his masterful races at Silverstone and Hungary. In the former, he secured an unexpected victory, skillfully managing all environmental conditions. In the latter, he defended magnificently against none other than Max Verstappen, forcing him into an error.

So, we could say that age is just a number. Just look at what Fernando Alonso achieved last year. With an Aston Martin among the most competitive cars on the grid, he outperformed his teammate in nearly every Grand Prix and even put the world champion from Red Bull under pressure.

Looking at the records of the oldest drivers to compete in an F1 Grand Prix, both Lewis and Fernando can rest easy—they’re still far from the top of this list. The oldest driver to take part in a Formula 1 race was Louis Chiron at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, where the Monegasque driver was 55 years and 292 days old.

As for world champions, Juan Manuel Fangio tops the list, winning at the age of 46. This highlights that, regardless of age, a talented driver with the right car can still make a significant impact.

This morning, to celebrate Lewis Hamilton’s 40th birthday, Ferrari posted a congratulatory message on its social media, honoring the twelfth Briton to drive for Maranello.

The anticipation to see him on track is high. The first tests will take place between Fiorano and Barcelona at the end of January. The initial session is scheduled for a day between the 20th and 21st with the F1-75, while the second will follow a few days later, hoping for the best possible weather conditions.