Lewis Hamilton denied more Ferrari test runs as F1 2025 has reach his…read more
Lewis Hamilton’s Testing of Previous Car (TPC) runs with Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season have concluded, as the seven-time World Champion reached the maximum allowable limit of four testing days. Hamilton has been using the TPC regulations to familiarize himself with Ferrari’s procedures ahead of his first season with the team, driving the SF-23 car.
Hamilton’s first time behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car came on February 23, 2025, at the Fiorano circuit, the team’s private test track. The following week, he moved to the Barcelona circuit, where he alternated driving sessions with his new teammate, Charles Leclerc. However, a crash on Day 2 of the session halted their progress.
Afterward, Ferrari returned to Barcelona for a Pirelli tyre test, where Hamilton and Leclerc drove a modified SF-24 car to help Pirelli with the development of the new 2026 tyres. During the test, Ferrari also brought out an SF-23, which Leclerc drove in the morning. Hamilton then took over the car in the afternoon, marking his fourth and final day of testing under the TPC regulations.
According to the TPC rules, Formula 1 drivers are allowed a maximum of four days of testing in previous-generation cars, with a total mileage cap of 1,000 kilometers. These restrictions are in place to ensure that testing doesn’t provide a significant advantage to teams or drivers, especially when it comes to developing the car. Ironically, it was Ferrari’s own complaints last year about Red Bull’s testing that led to changes in the TPC rules.
Ferrari, along with other teams, voiced concerns when Max Verstappen participated in a TPC test using Red Bull’s 2022 car at Imola. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur criticized the test, describing it as “clear development,” as it allowed Verstappen to compare the 2022 car with his current RB20. This sparked a debate about whether such testing allowed for meaningful development and whether it gave some drivers an unfair advantage.
In response to these concerns, the FIA adjusted the TPC regulations for the 2025 season, capping the number of test days to four and limiting the total mileage to 1,000 kilometers. This change means that drivers cannot use the tests to significantly develop their cars or refine their setups.
For Hamilton, this means his time behind the wheel of the SF-23 is now over, as he has used up all four of his TPC days. However, Ferrari still has some flexibility, as Leclerc has one more day of testing left. Additionally, the team has 19 more TPC days available with reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi and 20 days with new signing Zhou Guanyu. The rules offer more testing days for drivers who are not currently racing in the championship.
