Lewis Hamilton's second day of pre-season testing in Barcelona takes an unexpected turn as he crashes a Ferrari, prompting the team to emphasize the incident is part of his transition from Mercedes, amidst stringent testing limitations.
Hamilton's Ferrari Mishap: A Pre-Season Setback
Hamilton's Ferrari Mishap: A Pre-Season Setback
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton crashes during Ferrari's pre-season testing as he adapts to his new team ahead of the upcoming season.
In a surprising development during pre-season testing in Spain, Lewis Hamilton has crashed his new Ferrari, raising eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. The seven-time world champion was unharmed in the incident, which occurred at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday, his second day behind the wheel of the 2023 model.
Despite the crash, Ferrari refrained from making any public comments regarding the situation. Hamilton is currently sharing driving duties with teammate Charles Leclerc in an effort to facilitate his integration into the team prior to the season opener at the Australian Grand Prix scheduled for March 14-16.
The team views the incident as a normal part of Hamilton’s adjustment process, as he familiarizes himself with the Ferrari following a 12-year stint with Mercedes. Ferrari emphasizes that testing restrictions in F1 are stringent, allowing drivers to complete only up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of what is termed as TPC, or testing of previous cars.
Hamilton have previously logged 30 laps on January 22 at the team’s Fiorano track before heading to Barcelona for a three-day testing session. Ferrari has chosen to keep the details of their current testing confidential, as Hamilton learns the operational methods within the team, further establishing rapport with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, and the rest of the engineering staff.
Looking ahead, Ferrari plans to unveil their 2025 car at Fiorano on February 19, one day after the F1 season launch at O2 in London. The team is set to provide Hamilton with additional testing opportunities ahead of the launch through a Pirelli-run tyre test. Additionally, they will run two days next week at Barcelona on February 4-5 in a modified 2025 car, to incorporate upcoming regulations slated for 2026. Meanwhile, McLaren is executing a corresponding Pirelli test at Paul Ricard in France, as they work on finalizing their 2026 tire product.
