Toto Wolff lifts lid on Lewis Hamilton's 'secret' test away from Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton may now be a Ferrari driver, but if he opted to scratch a different sporting itch, he could have ended up racing very different machinery in 2025.

Hamilton got behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car for the first time as he turned his first test laps as an official Ferrari driver this week. His switch to the iconic Italian team ended his 12-year partnership with Mercedes that saw him capture six of his seven F1 World Drivers' Championships.

But, while Hamilton has been the biggest star in Formula 1 for more than a decade, he has also harbored a deep love for motorcycle racing. And, after securing his fifth F1 world title, he managed to sneak away from his team to take part in a two-day test with the Crescent Racing team at Jerez, Spain back in 2018.

While there, Hamilton jumped aboard a World Superbike Championship-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 and, according to those present, pushed to the very limit as he attempted to keep pace with world championship-level racers Alex Lowes and Michael Van Der Mark.

Wolff was unaware of Hamilton's two-wheeled test until it had finished, as he revealed to the Armchair Expert podcast.

"(They did it) secretly. They didn't tell me," Wolff said.

"They went testing in Jerez with my head of strategy, who is also a keen motorbike guy and one of the engineers. I couldn't get hold of him for two days.

"And then I'm calling Lewis. I said, 'What happened?'

"He fell. But he was four seconds off the MotoGP pros. It's unbelievable. The body feeling that he has is what makes him a champion."

After the test, Crescent Racing team principal Paul Denning was gushing in his praise of Hamilton's ability on two wheels, saying, "This bloke can really ride. Talent for days and a proper good lad."

It wasn't the only time Hamilton would show his mettle on two wheels. In Valencia in 2019 he swapped machinery with Italian MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, with Hamilton taking Rossi's factory Yamaha out onto the circuit, while Rossi spent some time in Hamilton's F1 cockpit.

That meeting was played out in front of the cameras as the two teams joined forces to get the two legends of their respective sports out on track together in an iconic moment for motorsport fans.

Rossi, who know competes on four wheels in GT endurance racing, is a national hero his homeland. And now, with Hamilton wearing the famous red of Ferrari, the Englishman is set to join him as one of the most beloved motorsports heroes in Italy.

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