Hamilton continues Ferrari testing in Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton continues his preparations for the F1 season by testing with his new Ferrari team at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this week.

Seven-time champion and teammate Charles Leclerc drove the 2023 F1 car in his home Spanish Grand Prix on Tuesday. Hamilton has been gaining experience with Ferrari since his first acclimatisation test at Italy’s Fiorano test track last week.

The team is doing all it can to ensure Hamilton is as prepared as possible for the new season after 12 years with Mercedes. Hamilton is developing working methods with new race engineer Riccardo Adami as he learns Ferrari’s procedures and how driver and team can work better together.

The 40-year-old took over from Leclerc, who led the morning session, to drive in the afternoon. No further details have been released about the tests, which are being held behind closed doors.

Ferrari is expected to run for three days in Spain, although the number of laps the drivers can complete is limited. Current drivers are allowed to complete a total of 1,000 km (621 miles) of testing per year in the previous year’s car, and the 2023 car is the latest car available under F1’s testing restrictions. Image caption:Charles Leclerc and Hamilton will be teammates this season

The 2025 Ferrari will be unveiled on February 19, when Hamilton and Leclerc will take it for a short drive at Fiorano.

They will then head to the official pre-season test in Bahrain on February 26-28. Hamilton will have to familiarise himself with the operating procedures of the Ferrari engine, having only driven Mercedes engines in F1 so far.

Modern F1 engines are 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids with sophisticated energy recovery systems and complex control processes, many of which are operated by the driver in the cockpit. The multiple modes of various engine power and performance are designed to create similar functions, but each manufacturer has different software and operation procedures, and drivers need time to get used to them. 。