Lewis Hamilton crashes Ferrari in pre-season testing

During pre-season testing in Spain, Lewis Hamilton crashed the Ferrari car he was driving. The seven-time world champion lost control while driving the 2023 car at the Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday, but fortunately, he was not injured.

The Ferrari team declined to comment on the incident. The accident occurred on the second day of Hamilton's testing at the Spanish circuit, where he alternated driving duties with teammate Charles Leclerc. This testing aims to help Hamilton integrate into the team as quickly as possible, in preparation for the new season which begins with the Australian Grand Prix from March 14th to 16th.

Ferrari considers this crash a normal occurrence, as Hamilton needs time to adapt to an unfamiliar car after 12 years with Mercedes, and F1 testing is also quite restricted. Currently, Ferrari is conducting limited testing with the 2023 car, which is also the latest model Hamilton is permitted to drive.

F1 testing regulations limit current drivers to a maximum of 1000 kilometers in TPC (Testing of Previous Cars). Hamilton completed 30 laps at Ferrari's Fiorano test track on January 22nd, followed by a three-day test with Leclerc this week in Barcelona, which is also the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari has not disclosed the details of the testing, but Hamilton is learning Ferrari's processes and working methods, and building rapport with race engineer Riccardo Adami and other engineering team members.

Ferrari will unveil their 2025 car on February 19th at Fiorano, the day after F1 holds its season launch event at the O2 Arena in London. Before the launch, Ferrari will provide Hamilton with more testing opportunities, participating in tire tests organized by Pirelli. Additionally, the team will conduct another two-day test in Barcelona next week from February 4th to 5th, using the 2025 car and making adjustments for the new rules being introduced in 2026. Meanwhile, McLaren is also conducting similar Pirelli tire tests this week at the Paul Ricard circuit in France to determine their 2026 product.