Lewis Hamilton suffered a less-than-ideal start to proceedings with Ferrari at the Barcelona circuit after a crash while testing their SF-23 challenger.
The two-year-old car ended up with damage after the Brit lost control, leading to Ferrari pinning the true cause of Hamilton’s crash on a bump in the circuit.
With just over one month to go until the start of the new season at the Australian Grand Prix and limited running to get used to his new surroundings, it was far from ideal preparation for the seven-time champion.
It was also a dent to Hamilton’s new teammate Charles Leclerc, who had been scheduled to drive the car in the afternoon but was forced to go home without having completed any running.
Ferrari will be participating in a Pirelli tyre test at Barcelona again this week as they conduct some runs with 2026 rubber.
Hamilton has one big problem at Ferrari, and the extra running will give him an opportunity to overcome those woes. He must improve in qualifying trim if he wants to compete in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton ‘provoked’ Barcelona testing crash with Ferrari
Juan Pablo Montoya says that Hamilton’s crash was a big deal after he was surprised by the corner in which he crashed.
The 39-year-old’s first official run in his new car will be on February 19 at Fiorano, one week before pre-season testing in Bahrain.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton faces one ‘very different’ task during his first Ferrari season that was never a problem at Mercedes
Antonio Ghini joked that Hamilton provoked his testing crash due to a pattern relating to his exploits with other Formula 1 teams before winning championships.
“I have to say that Hamilton is truly a strategist because his crash in Spain was not badly received. I want to say that he provoked it,” he said.
“Of course, if we go and look at the history, maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think so. When he got in the McLaren in Montmelo before [he debuted in] 2007 in which he won the championship [in 2008], he crashed during the tests.
“Not only that but when he arrived at Mercedes in Valencia before the start of the championship which he won he crashed. So at this point, you know, come on let’s try so we can set things in the right direction even if these things don’t work.”
Why Charles Leclerc wasn’t annoyed with Lewis Hamilton after Barcelona testing crash
Leclerc wasn’t disappointed in Hamilton after his testing crash denied the Monegasque some valuable running.
He is aware that he will be able to use his TPC (testing of previous cars) day later on in the season, which should benefit any title charge they may be involved in.
Hamilton had been working to address Leclerc’s Ferrari experience advantage as he has been in the team for six seasons now.
READ MORE: Piero Ferrari thinks Charles Leclerc faces ‘generational issue’ after Lewis Hamilton arrival
It should mean that he starts the season stronger than his new teammate, but the Brit’s title-winning experience could prove to be the more valuable weapon in the long term.
Their fight in the drivers’ championship is one of the most highly anticipated storylines of the season and could be settled by who gets used to their new car quickest.
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