Lewis Hamilton is getting back behind the wheel of the Ferrari SF-23 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to get ready for his Scuderia debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
The 40-year-old is enjoying the start of his fresh chapter in red after Hamilton quit Mercedes to join Ferrari. He has already begun to get acclimatised to the Briton’s new surroundings for the 2025 Formula 1 season. But the Scuderia want him in the best position for the first race.
Hamilton has already visited Maranello and driven the SF-23 once at Ferrari’s iconic Fiorano test circuit. The Scuderia have set out a strong Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme for Hamilton with 2025 the first time he has raced an F1 car without an engine by Mercedes.
Ferrari to use the Barcelona TPC to get Lewis Hamilton comfy in his new cockpit
Ferrari have booked the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya out for three days, with Hamilton set to drive an SF-23 on Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday 29 as part of the TPC plan ahead of the only official Formula 1 2025 pre-season test in Bahrain across February 26, 27 and 28.
Depending on the weather across the TPC at the home of the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari will offer Charles Leclerc and also their reserve drivers some time on the track. But Corriere della Sera claims Ferrari’s priority in Barcelona is for Hamilton to get further adjusted to their cars.
Now that Hamilton has replaced Carlos Sainz as the teammate of Leclerc, Ferrari hope to get the Briton more comfortable with the ergonomics of their cockpit. The Scuderia will also use the TPC in Barcelona to let Hamilton try pit stops and race starts in their 2023 Formula 1 car.
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Additionally, the Scuderia hope their test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya lets Hamilton experience some high-performance runs without the attentive glares of the passionate Tifosi tracking his laps. Over 1,000 Ferrari fans visited Fiorano to see Hamilton’s first test in person.
Lewis Hamilton must adapt to a Ferrari F1 engine and more for the first time
Ferrari have not ruled out also letting Hamilton drive their F1-75 from the 2022 season over the TPC in Barcelona this week to ensure he is as prepared as possible for the 2025 season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 16. Hamilton lapped 89km at Fiorano in the SF-23.
The Maranello crew have scheduled multiple TPC runs ahead of the only official pre-season test in Bahrain as Hamilton has so much to get used to after leaving Mercedes for Ferrari. It also represents a challenge for the Scuderia as they get used to working with the F1 legend.
Before replacing Sainz at the pride of Italy, Hamilton had only driven for British F1 teams at McLaren in Woking and Mercedes in Brackley. So, the Stevenage native must now get used to a very different environment in Maranello on top of a Ferrari F1 engine for the first time.
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