Lewis Hamilton says his first race as a Ferrari driver “can’t come soon enough” with the Briton’s pre-season run in a 2023 SF-23 curtailed when he crashed in testing.
Hamilton’s new career adventure as Ferrari Formula 1 Motive Force last week when the Briton spent time at the Maranello headquarters before climbing the cockpit of an SF-23 for 30 laps of the Fiorano Circuit.
He was back in action this week, alternating sessions with his new team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Barcelona circuit. However, their running was cut short when Hamilton crashed on Wednesday morning.
According to the reports, the British lost the SF-23 due to a “bump” in Tour 12, leaving the track and crashing against the barriers.
While the driver was “absolutely fine” and Ferrari said the crash was “perfectly normal” as new signing Hamilton looked to “test and find the limits of his new equipment”, the car suffered suspension and bodywork damage.
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At that time, Motors-addic. com reports that Ferrari has urgently sent “a” specialized compound technician “to Barcelona to” better evaluate “the car.
The crash meant Leclerc was unable to compete in the afternoon session, however, reserve drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Degan Startovic were on course for the third and final day at the Spanish circuit.
This is the first time that Hamilton has crashed in his preseason preparations, which he did in 2007 with McLaren and in 2013 with Mercedes.
The seven-time World Champion shrugged it off as he posted a series of photographs on social media with the words: “First race can’t come soon enough.”
Hamilton will return to the wheel of a Ferrari formula 1 next week in a “mule” edition of the SF-24 last year.
The British and Leclerc are expected to be in action in the Circuit de Catalunya, where Ferrari will register in McLaren to help Pirelli with their 2026 tire preparations.
According to respected Italian journalist Rosario Giuliana, Ferrari will run an “unprecedented” set-up at the Spanish track, one more suited for Monza’s minimal downforce characteristics.
“Ferrari for Pirelli Will Will Will in Spain with a” Monza taste configuration, “Giuliana revealed in X”. An unprecedented configuration for a circuit such as Montmelò, which in general situations requires very “large” wings.
“McLaren has already experimented with this set-up at Paul Ricard, to simulate the lower downforce that the 2026 cars will have, which will have a downforce comparable to that of the 2024 cars in the Monza version.
“The mule cars are also running lightened, to simulate the -30kg that next year’s cars will have.”
After that, the next 40-year race will be when Ferrari sing the 2025 car, the SF-25, before going to Bahrein for 3 days of preseason from February 26 to 28.
His first race as a Ferrari driver takes position in Australia, the first weekend of the season on March 14 with FP1.
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