Lewis Hamilton enjoyed more track time in his new Ferrari on Day Two of F1’s sole pre-season test in Bahrain following the seven-time champion’s switch from Mercedes.
Formula 1 is only holding three days of pre-season testing at the home of the Bahrain Grand Prix for its 10 teams and 20 drivers to prepare for the 2025 term. The test at the Sakhir track also provides Hamilton his first chance to push his new Ferrari after replacing Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton first lapped Ferrari’s 2025 car at Fiorano as the Scuderia held a shakedown in front of 5,000 fans ahead of flying to Bahrain. The 40-year-old has a lot to learn in a short amount of time after quitting Mercedes, with Hamilton using a Ferrari engine for the first time in F1.
Lewis Hamilton enjoys a bonus boost with a VSC test on Day 2 of F1 testing in Bahrain
The start to his new life at the Scuderia has largely gone smoothly, even if Mercedes do not think Hamilton’s new Ferrari is that good. Maranello chiefs have made some major changes with the SF-25 compared to last year’s car, with Ferrari moving to pull-rod front suspension.
Hamilton has sought to make some tweaks since his move, as well, with the Briton adapting to a new team after 12 seasons at Mercedes. Given he became accustomed to certain ways, Hamilton asked Ferrari to modify his steering wheel to mirror his button layout at Mercedes.
Yet Hamilton still has a lot to learn about Ferrari’s steering wheel. So, Karun Chandhok felt it was beneficial for the Briton to experience the virtual safety car (VSC) protocol at the end of the morning session on Day Two of F1 testing in Bahrain as Hamilton lapped his new Ferrari.
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“You know what, that’s good for Hamilton to know,” Chandhok said on Sky Sports F1 (27/02, 10:55). “When the VSC is called, he needs to know immediately which buttons to press, go to the right mode with the engine settings and the steering wheel is completely different.
“It won’t yet be intuitive for him just immediately going to the VSC settings for energy recharge and things like that.”
Lewis Hamilton will hope to avoid his 2024 Qatar GP safety car blunder with Ferrari
Hamilton will know Mercedes’ VSC and safety car protocols like the back of his hand after 12 seasons at the Brackley bunch. But he needs to learn Ferrari’s methods instinctively to avoid picking up needless penalties in a race that may harm his and the team’s championship bids.
There are no guarantees that knowing the Scuderia’s protocols and benefitting from the VSC test at F1 testing in Bahrain will avert penalties, however. Hamilton received a drive-through penalty at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix after speeding in the pit lane behind the full safety car.
The Qatar GP was Hamilton’s penultimate race with Mercedes yet saw him only come home in P12 from P6 on the grid, having also drawn a five-second time penalty for a false start. He was 12.5kph over the 80kph speed limit as the safety car took the field through the pit lane.
