Scary moment for Hamilton as he almost falls out of Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's first season with Ferrari could have got off to a slightly awkward start as the former Mercedes driver almost fell following a demonstration run alongside teammate Charles Leclerc in Milan.

In a celebration in front of 35,000 Tifosi, both drivers entertained the crowds as they drifted around the closed roads of the Italian city. Hamilton drove the SF-21 from the 2021 Formula 1 season in the UniCredit-backed event.

"I've seen the Tifosi over the years for Sebastian [Vettel], I've seen them for Fernando [Alonso], I've seen them for Charles and Carlos [Sainz], so I wasn't surprised," Hamilton said on the reaction the drivers received, via Reuters.

"Bit by bit I'm getting to see more and more of the Tifosi and getting to know them a little bit more. I really really want to be able to communicate with them in Italian, so I've got to work on it."

Leclerc drove the SF90, the car that drove him to his maiden Grand Prix win in 2019 where he won both Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.

Waving to the Tifosi following the session, Hamilton stepped from the nose of the car on to the front wheel, unaware that the car was raised, allowing the tyre to spin freely. As he lost balance, he tumbled to the ground but impressively landed on his feet, only grazing the side of the tire. He was quickly patted on the back by a nearby mechanic.

This comes after another close call during pre-season testing where the 40-year-old lost his footing when stepping off a moving caddy. Leclerc, sitting next to him at the time, watched as his teammate looked back and laughed.

"We are the strongest pairing Formula 1 has probably ever had," the seven-time world champion said via Autosport.

Leclerc also shared his thoughts on the pairing, revealing his excitement for driving alongside the former Mercedes driver.

“I was surprised – our driving style is very similar," he said. “We both like to push quite a lot, especially the entries, and on that we are quite similar.

“That’s positive because I think it requires the same thing out of the car, and I think as a team that is always a good thing because we’ll definitely push in the same direction because we need the same things, so that was good, and we’re working super well together.

“We’ve spent quite a bit of time together since the beginning of the year, less on track, more in the studio to do pictures which is not the part we enjoy the most but it’s part of the job! And yeah, I’m looking forward to race with him and hopefully bring Ferrari back to the top.”