Lewis Hamilton is now blocked from doing one thing this season after carrying out unplanned Ferrari test

Lewis Hamilton is back behind the wheel of Ferrari machinery this week as he continues his preparations for the 2025 season.

The Brit got his first outing with the Maranello outfit at the team’s private Fiorano Circuit in the SF-23. Thousands of Ferrari fans showed up to watch the historic moment of F1’s most successful driver piloting the famous red car.

Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc went to the Circuit de Catalunya last week to complete more TPC tests (Testing of Previous Cars). This time, the sessions were held behind closed doors to allow for full focus on getting the seven-time champion integrated with the team.

However, the test was hampered after the 40-year-old lost control of the car and crashed into the barriers. While Hamilton was not injured, the SF-23 was significantly damaged, which meant Leclerc’s session had to be scrapped.

Leclerc ‘was not too disappointed’ by the situation as he could make up for lost time later in the year. Hamilton reported very positive impressions to his Ferrari engineers despite the accident – an encouraging sign heading into his first season with the team.

Lewis Hamilton is blocked from completing TPC tests in the season after fourth Barcelona test

From Tuesday, Ferrari have been completing 2026 tyre tests for Pirelli in Barcelona. Ferrari will have an ‘unprecedented’ set-up as they will run with 2026 levels of downforce to properly test the effectiveness of the new rubber.

Ferrari have also brought the SF-23 and SF-24 with them to Montmelo. This allowed Leclerc to complete the TPC day he missed last week due to Hamilton’s crash – which he did on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, his teammate ran the modified SF-24 – marking the first time Hamilton drove the latest Ferrari machine before this year’s car – in a Pirelli tyre test. However, according to journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni via X (formerly Twitter), ‘the roles were reversed’ in the afternoon.

Hamilton got back behind the wheel of the SF-23 while Leclerc took control of the SF-24 on the 2026 rubber. This marks the former’s fourth TPC test day.

Under the regulations, drivers in the championship are limited to 1,000km of testing in old machinery across a maximum of four days. As a result of this unplanned test in Barcelona, Hamilton now cannot complete another TPC test during the 2025 season.

The ‘pretty unlikely’ scenario that Lewis Hamilton leaves Ferrari after the 2025 season

The TPC tests will be vital for Hamilton ahead of his first season with Ferrari. The Brit will be desperate to make the most of this opportunity after three years of driving unpredictable Mercedes machinery.

Hamilton registered the lowest finish of his career in 2025 with seventh in the championship. While he won two races and grabbed five podiums, he was comprehensively beaten by teammate George Russell.

Qualifying was the biggest issue for Hamilton in 2024 as he failed to reach Q3 six times across the year. He will be looking to right the wrongs of last year with Ferrari, but if he cannot be competitive, he may choose to walk away entirely.

Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm says it is ‘pretty unlikely’ Hamilton leaves Ferrari in 2025. However, in the event he does, the team seem to already have their replacement lined up for the future.

Ferrari are looking at Oliver Bearman, with the young Brit being the team’s reserve driver for 2025. The 19-year-old will compete in his first full season with Haas this year.