Lewis Hamilton to Get Redemption Shot at Ferrari third test to recover from his…read
Lewis Hamilton will get another opportunity to recover from his recent setback during a Pirelli tyre test this week, where he will drive Ferrari’s modified 2024 car. The test comes just after his crash at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last week, which marred his pre-season preparations.
Hamilton’s introduction to Ferrari in January went well, with a warm reception from the team’s fans, known as the Tifosi, at Ferrari’s Maranello factory and Fiorano test track. His first test behind the wheel of the SF-23, which was used in the 2023 season by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, was also promising, despite some issues with the pedals, which Ferrari quickly resolved. However, during the second day of testing in Barcelona, Hamilton crashed in the final sector, causing significant damage to the car and resulting in extensive repairs. This crash meant Leclerc was unable to take to the track for the remainder of the day.
The incident initially seemed to have happened at the slower Turn 12, but later reports indicated that it occurred at the high-speed final corner. Despite the crash, Hamilton emerged unscathed, and Ferrari has not publicly addressed the incident.
This week, Hamilton will get another chance to drive Ferrari’s car in a two-day Pirelli tyre test at Barcelona. The test, set to begin on February 4, will allow Hamilton and Leclerc to test experimental hard-compound tyres for Pirelli’s development of the 2026 season’s tyre specifications. Ferrari has created a heavily modified version of last year’s SF-24 to simulate the downforce levels expected from the next-generation cars for 2026. The car will run with a low-downforce setup, closer to the specifications needed for the 2026 season, rather than the higher-downforce setup usually required for Barcelona.
Hamilton and Leclerc will drive the modified car during the two-day test, which will help Pirelli develop the new tyres, which will be narrower than current tyres, while still maintaining the 18-inch rim size. This test is an essential part of tyre development before the regulation changes for 2026, similar to how Ferrari used a modified 2015 car for testing in 2016 ahead of the 2017 regulation changes.
Ferrari might extend their stay in Barcelona after the Pirelli test to make up for Leclerc’s lost track time, as he has only completed two TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) days so far. F1 rules allow a maximum of 1,000 kilometres of TPC testing per season, and Hamilton has already completed three of his allocated days.
Hamilton’s next public appearance as a Ferrari driver will be at F1’s first-ever collective season-launch event in London on February 18. At the event, Hamilton and Leclerc will unveil Ferrari’s new livery, expected to feature a deeper shade of red and more black than its predecessor. The SF-25 car will be officially launched the following day, with both drivers likely to get an initial taste of the car in a brief shakedown at Ferrari’s Fiorano track before the official pre-season test in Bahrain later in February.
Following the launch, Hamilton and Leclerc will attend joint events in Milan and prepare for the opening race of the 2025 F1 season in Melbourne on March 16.
