Ferrari Resumes Testing Schedule Following Hamilton's Minor Crash

Ferrari Resumes Testing Schedule Following Hamilton's Minor Crash

By Michael Harrison

January 31, 2025 at 04:10 AM

Ferrari's final test day in Barcelona has resumed normally following Lewis Hamilton's crash during the second day of testing. The incident with the SF-23 on Wednesday morning required repairs but caused no major damage that would prevent further running.

Charles Leclerc returned to the track later Wednesday, and Thursday's scheduled testing proceeded as planned at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Race driver in car cockpit

Race driver in car cockpit

The three-day test session features both Hamilton and Leclerc driving a two-year-old Ferrari, aimed at building driving fitness and familiarity during the off-season. This program is particularly important for Hamilton following his transition from Mercedes. While Wednesday's incident wasn't ideal, it demonstrates Hamilton's efforts to understand the limits of his new machinery.

Teams face a 1000km limit for testing previous cars (TPC) with race drivers during the season. Prior to Barcelona, both drivers shared the SF-23 at Fiorano last week, completing a combined 131km in cold conditions - Hamilton with 30 laps and Leclerc with 14.

Following the Barcelona test, both Ferrari drivers will participate in a two-day Pirelli tire test at the same venue next week. They'll use a mule car to help develop tires for the 2026 regulations. Meanwhile, McLaren is conducting similar Pirelli testing at Paul Ricard in southern France.

The drivers are scheduled to test the 2025 car after its February 19 launch at Maranello, before pre-season testing begins in Bahrain the following week.

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