Ferrari’s preparations for the 2025 season suffered a setback after Lewis Hamilton crashed the SF-23 in testing in Barcelona.
The Maranello outfit ran its first test session of the year at their Fiorano Circuit last week – Hamilton’s first outing as a Ferrari driver. The Brit went out second to his teammate Charles Leclerc as TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) regulations deny the pair from running simultaneously.
Hamilton was six seconds quicker than Leclerc, but that was because the Monagasque driver did not get a run in dry conditions. Furthermore, neither driver were pushing the car to the maximum.
This week, Ferrari have conducted tests in Barcelona, this time with the seven-time champion heading out on track first before Leclerc. Ferrari told Hamilton to push the car to its limits at the venue of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Ferrari are also working on Hamilton’s tyre management, which was a key issue at Mercedes in 2024. However, the Brit suffered a crash during testing on Wednesday, cutting his and Leclerc’s session short.
Ferrari are playing down the crash as a ‘minor’ incident, but it could have repercussions for Hamilton’s first season with the team.
Lewis Hamilton will be unable to do TPC tests during the season if Ferrari run a fourth day in Barcelona
The crash will have raised question marks given the Brit’s disappointing season with Mercedes last season. However, Hamilton’s accident may have been caused by a bump in the circuit rather than driver error.
Nevertheless, the incident has affected Ferrari’s preparations, with Leclerc’s run on Wednesday being scrapped altogether due to the car’s damages. There were rumours that the team would have to change their schedule to give their 2025 driver another run.
But according to a report by Autosport, that is not the case. Ferrari will not change their schedule and will go ahead as planned, with Antonio Giovinazzi and Dino Beganovic set to drive the SF-23 on Thursday.
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As a result of the crash, ‘Hamilton and Leclerc have both left Barcelona’ with the schedule unchanged. However, the duo are set to return next week for a Pirelli tyre test.
Ferrari could ‘extend its stay at Barcelona and complete its fourth testing day’ after running the tyre test. But if this was to happen, the team would hit the 1,000km limit under the TPC regulations, meaning Hamilton would be unable to run session during the season.
This would be costly for the seven-time champion as TPC tests allow teams to gather data during the year in old machinery. Max Verstappen drove the RB18 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, which proved important for his title defence in 2024.
How Damon Hill reacted to Lewis Hamilton’s crash in Barcelona
The crash in Barcelona continues a bizarre trend in Hamilton’s career that could see success at Ferrari next season.
Hamilton crashed in his first test for Mercedes in 2013 at Jerez. He would go on to win the 2014 title, as well as five of the next six championships afterwards.
The Brit also crashed in his first outing with McLaren in 2007 for Valencia – a year before he won his maiden championship. With these accidents, many fans have drawn to the conclusion that Hamilton will win the title in 2026.
Damon Hill referred to Hamilton as ‘a crashing bore’ as he reacted to the 40-year-old’s crashes over the years and subsequent title wins.
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