Lewis Hamilton has experienced a challenging initiation into his new role with Ferrari after crashing the team’s 2023 car during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The seven-time Formula 1 champion, who was unhurt in the incident, lost control of the vehicle on Wednesday, his second day of driving at the Spanish circuit.
Ferrari has remained tight-lipped regarding the crash, viewing it as a normal part of Hamilton's adjustment to an unfamiliar car after over a decade with the Mercedes team. The ongoing process aims to integrate Hamilton smoothly into Ferrari's racing framework ahead of the Australian Grand Prix scheduled for March 14-16.
The incident occurs amidst strict testing restrictions in Formula 1, limiting teams to a maximum of 1,000 km of track time with current vehicles, which emphasizes the challenges Hamilton faces in adapting quickly. Prior to this week's session in Barcelona, he had logged 30 laps at Ferrari's Fiorano test track on January 22.
As part of his preparation, Hamilton is becoming accustomed to the team’s operational strategies and forming a rapport with race engineer Riccardo Adami and other key engineering personnel. In line with their schedule, Ferrari will unveil their 2025 car on February 19, coinciding with additional testing sessions featuring a modified car to comply with new regulations set for 2026. McLaren is concurrently conducting similar testing to inform Pirelli's approach for future tires.
