Lewis Hamilton continued preparations for his debut as a Ferrari grand prix driver by testing one of the team’s cars at the Circuit de Catalunya today.
The seven-times world champion drove a 2023-specification SF-23 chassis at the home of the Spanish Grand Prix. He previously tested the car at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track last week. The SF-23 was the only car to beat Red Bull’s dominant RB19 to victory during the 2023 season.
Hamilton was joined by new team mate Charles Leclerc, who also drove the car. Ferrari are expected to spend three days testing at the circuit as Hamilton adjusts to a new team for the first time since he joined Mercedes in 2013.
Formula 1 teams are permitted to test chassis under the series’ Testing of Previous Cars regulations, providing they are at least two years old. Under revised rules introduced this year, teams may only use a single car per day for a maximum of nine hours, and can only test on tracks the series will race at this year at least 60 days before its round is held. The Spanish Grand Prix will take place in June.
Ferrari are due to present their 2025 F1 car on February 19th. Testing for the new season will begin one week later at the Bahrain International Circuit. Teams will have just three days to run their new cars prior to the season-opening race in Australia the following month.
The Circuit de Catalunya was the regular home of F1 pre-season testing for many years. However it last held such a test in 2022, when the series introduced extensive changes to its chassis regulations. Since then F1 has always held its pre-season tests in Bahrain.
Pictures: Hamilton and Leclerc test Ferrari SF-23 at Catalunya
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
