Lewis Hamilton Will get Early Ferrari Expertise in Pirelli Tyre Check at Barcelona
Lewis Hamilton has wasted no time in getting accustomed to Ferrari equipment, turning his first laps for the Scuderia eventually week’s Pirelli tyre take a look at in Barcelona. The seven-time world champion is getting ready for his extremely anticipated 2025 change and has already racked up important mileage in his new setting.
Transitioning from Mercedes after 12 years, the 40-year-old has needed to rapidly adapt to a wholly new workforce, automotive, and operational construction. As a part of System 1’s *Testing of Earlier Automobiles* (TPC) programme, Hamilton was given the possibility to drive Ferrari’s 2023 SF-23 at Fiorano, the place over a thousand followers gathered to witness his debut in purple. His first on-track outings have included each personal testing and participation within the official Pirelli tyre programme.
Through the Barcelona take a look at, Hamilton suffered an early setback when he crashed at Flip 12 whereas lapping within the SF-23. Nonetheless, this didn’t deter him from getting again behind the wheel, and by Wednesday, he was as soon as once more driving for Ferrari on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This time, he joined forces together with his future teammate Charles Leclerc for Pirelli’s 2026 tyre take a look at, which required them to run a modified model of Ferrari’s 2024-spec automotive.
Ferrari Launched ‘Excessive’ Aerodynamic Adjustments for the Pirelli 2026 Tyre Check
Hamilton’s first style of Ferrari’s 2024 challenger got here with a singular twist—Ferrari made intensive modifications to the automotive to assist simulate the 2026 regulation adjustments. It was the primary occasion of Pirelli testing its future tyres on a current-generation automotive tailored to resemble the upcoming engine and chassis rules.
As a part of this take a look at, Ferrari launched a radical alteration to the automotive’s aerodynamics. In accordance with *The Race*, the Scuderia fitted Hamilton’s automotive with an unusually aggressive rear wing, described as a “fairly excessive” departure from normal configurations. Whereas Ferrari had beforehand opted for a high-downforce rear wing on the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, the automotive used for the tyre take a look at featured a a lot lower-downforce model—just like the setup they employed at Monza, identified for its high-speed traits.
Along with the rear wing adjustments, Ferrari additionally made notable modifications to the entrance wing to additional scale back downforce ranges. The revised entrance wing was based mostly on the model used in the course of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, the place Carlos Sainz secured a podium end in third place, with Charles Leclerc ending fourth. The mix of those aerodynamic adjustments was aimed toward mirroring a few of the anticipated traits of the 2026 rules whereas additionally helping Pirelli’s ongoing improvement of future tyres.
Lewis Hamilton 1.788s Off Charles Leclerc’s Tempo in Barcelona Check
Regardless of the numerous setup adjustments, Ferrari’s tyre take a look at outcomes had been removed from reflective of true efficiency. Leclerc clocked the quickest lap of the session with a time of 1:14.971, whereas Hamilton’s quickest effort was a 1:16.759—putting him 1.788 seconds behind his teammate.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri additionally participated within the take a look at, recording a finest lap of 1:15.815. Nonetheless, as with all tyre assessments, lap occasions maintain little significance because of the unknown variables of gasoline masses, tyre compounds, and particular take a look at run goals. Even so, these occasions had been sooner than a few of the laps set in the course of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.
For reference, Lando Norris took the quickest lap of the race in Barcelona final yr with a 1:17.115, whereas the Monegasque’s finest lap for Ferrari was a 1:17.897. Throughout qualifying, Charles Leclerc’s finest effort in Q3 was a 1:11.731—far faster than the occasions posted within the tyre take a look at however achieved below totally completely different circumstances.
Whereas the uncooked lap occasions from the take a look at could not inform the complete story, Hamilton’s early outings in Ferrari equipment have given him a priceless head begin in adapting to his new environment. With extra assessments and simulator periods forward, the Briton is laying the groundwork for what could possibly be a defining season in 2025.
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