Lewis Hamilton as soon as once more dominated Ferrari-related headlines on Wednesday, however this time, it was for causes he would have most well-liked to keep away from.
The seven-time world champion suffered a crash at Flip 12 of the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona whereas participating in a Testing of Earlier Automobiles (TPC) session. Driving Ferrari’s SF-23, Hamilton was scheduled to finish the morning session earlier than handing the automotive over to his new teammate, Charles Leclerc. Nonetheless, because of TPC rules, each drivers couldn’t run concurrently.
Hamilton’s accident pressured Ferrari to cancel Leclerc’s session completely, because the harm sustained meant the automotive couldn’t be repaired in time. Regardless of the setback, Charles Leclerc confirmed little frustration, realizing he would have additional alternatives to conduct comparable checks later within the 12 months or through the winter break.
The Maranello-based crew has been working extensively to combine Hamilton into their system, making certain he adapts to their operations and automotive traits as easily as potential. Regardless of the crash, the British driver reportedly left a robust impression on Ferrari’s engineers in Barcelona. Notably, he has already demonstrated proficiency in dealing with the crew’s clutch launch for race begins—an space the place his predecessor, Carlos Sainz, had encountered difficulties—in addition to in adjusting to Ferrari’s braking system.
Juan Pablo Montoya on Why Hamilton’s Ferrari Crash Was Vital
Whereas some speculated that Lewis Hamilton’s crash might have been the results of a bump within the circuit slightly than driver error, the Briton will undoubtedly need to iron out any points properly earlier than the season kicks off in March.
Naturally, the incident attracted vital consideration. Historical past suggests Hamilton’s testing crashes don’t essentially spell hassle—he beforehand suffered comparable mishaps with McLaren at Valencia in 2007 and with Mercedes at Jerez in 2013, solely to win the world title with each groups the next 12 months.
Damon Hill jokingly dubbed Hamilton a “crashing bore,” suggesting that if the sample holds, he may very well be on monitor to assert the 2026 championship with Ferrari. Nonetheless, former Williams and McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya took a special stance.
Talking on the AS Colombia YouTube channel, Juan Pablo Montoya defined why the crash was a “massive deal.” He highlighted that the incident occurred at excessive velocity in a nook the place the probability of constructing contact with the boundaries was comparatively low, making Hamilton’s off-track tour extra notable than it’d initially appear.
Montoya acknowledged that Hamilton’s crash didn’t hassle him, because it was a routine check. He defined that the nook in query may very well be tough if a driver lacked confidence within the automotive, because it was a quick flip with a number of potholes that would simply catch somebody off guard. He famous that dropping management in such a scenario was not widespread however might occur when house was restricted.
Montoya additional emphasised that the importance of the accident lay within the sheer velocity of System 1 automobiles. He identified that when a mistake was made and a driver went off monitor, the probability of avoiding contact with something was extraordinarily low.
Lewis Hamilton might face the lack of a key privilege following his crash with Ferrari in Barcelona.
Though Ferrari downplayed the incident, describing the crash as a minor subject and reassuring that Hamilton was “completely superb,” the accident might have implications for the 40-year-old’s testing alternatives later within the season.
The crew determined to not modify their testing schedule in Barcelona. Because of this, each Hamilton and Leclerc departed the circuit, leaving Antonio Giovinazzi and Dino Beganovic to take over the SF-23 on Thursday.
Trying forward, Ferrari will conduct a Pirelli tyre check this week on the similar circuit, utilizing the 2026-spec rubber. Throughout this session, the British driver is predicted to obtain a setup that’s thought-about “unprecedented,” as it’ll simulate the downforce traits of the 2026 automotive utilizing final 12 months’s mannequin.
As well as, the Maranello crew might select to increase their keep in Barcelona by an additional day to conduct one other Testing of Earlier Automobiles (TPC) session, which might assist them get better useful monitor time misplaced after Hamilton’s crash.
Nonetheless, this extension would include a big consequence: if Ferrari proceeds with the extra check, Hamilton would have already reached the 1,000km restrict for TPC classes throughout 4 days. This might stop him from collaborating in any additional mid-season checks. TPC classes are essential for gathering information and pushing automotive improvement, as Max Verstappen demonstrated forward of the Spanish Grand Prix on his path to securing a fourth World Championship title.
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