Lewis Hamilton’s preparations for his debut season at Ferrari have suffered a setback after he crashed during a test in Barcelona on Wednesday. He hit the barriers while driving the 2023 car at the Spanish Grand Prix circuit.
This was just Hamilton’s third day of running for his new team. He completed a short 90km outing in Fiorano last week, then drove in Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon after teammate Charles Leclerc took the morning session.
On Wednesday, that order flipped, with Hamilton taking to the track first. However, Leclerc’s run plan was compromised by ‘several hours’ of repairs.
According to Motorsport Italy, Hamilton ‘lost control’ of the car at some point in the final sector at around 11am local time. There was significant damage to the suspension and ‘some aerodynamic parts’.
Ferrari engineers are now analysing the data to see what caused the accident. It’s possible, of course, that it wasn’t driver error.
The circuit is also booked out for Thursday, while Hamilton will return next week for a Pirelli tyre test in a modified version of the SF-24. But this may dent his confidence at the outset.
Ferrari are trying to play down Lewis Hamilton’s testing crash
The Race’s Scott Mitchell-Malm has now offered further insight after speaking to Ferrari figures who are on the scene. He confirmed that the driver is ‘absolutely fine’, which suggests that the impact wasn’t severe.
Ferrari are trying to paint it as a ‘fairly minor’ incident in a session with no stakes. But it will inevitably raise questions given that Hamilton is coming off his poorest F1 season to date.
At the outset, Ferrari gave Hamilton licence to push. With no fans in attendance – there was a four-figure audience watching from outside the Fiorano circuit – they felt more comfortable.
Indeed, they say that he was simply ‘building familiarity’ with the car and trying to ‘find the limit’. The SF-23 placed third in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
The driver who’s about to audition for Ferrari reserve role behind Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari were working on tyre management weaknesses before Hamilton’s off. This would have been particularly beneficial for the seven-time world champion, who struggled to nurse his Pirelli rubber last season.
The good news is that he still has plenty of opportunities to get behind the wheel before his official debut in Australia. An accident like this would be far more consequential in the main pre-season test.
Ferrari were planning to field Dino Beganovic, the recent F2 graduate, during their visit to Montmelo. They may now have to rejig their schedule.
Beganovic is a surprise contender to act as the team’s reserve driver this season. Oliver Bearman occupied that role with aplomb last year but is now racing full-time for Haas.
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