Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that missing the chance to drive for Ferrari during the post-season Abu Dhabi F1 test will pose additional challenges at the start of the upcoming season. Despite this, the seven-time world champion has pledged to “do our best to recover” and adapt quickly once he gets behind the wheel of his new car.
In contrast to Carlos Sainz, who will participate in the Abu Dhabi test with the Williams FW46 next month, Hamilton will not have the opportunity to familiarize himself with Ferrari’s machinery until the New Year. This delay could impact his preparation and understanding of the car’s intricacies ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff provided further insight during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, explaining that due to “contractual agreements with sponsors,” it would have been possible for Lewis Hamilton to take part in the test with Ferrari. However, the decision to forgo the session may force Lewis Hamilton and the team to focus on making up for lost time during the early stages of the season.
“Fred didn’t ask. I think it’s a difference also if you’re maybe going to Williams, but we have contractual agreements with sponsors.” – The Mercedes team principal explained last weekend – “We’re having a farewell for Lewis. We’re having lots of activities that are planned. And him and I, we spoke about it shortly, and he said, I guess that’s not going to work. I don’t think it’s going to work. And that was the whole thing. So I don’t think Fred is particularly sad.” – he pointed out during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
Hamilton is expected to have the opportunity to familiarize himself with the 2022 Ferrari during a private session at the team’s Fiorano circuit before pre-season testing officially begins. This outing could provide valuable early insights into the car’s handling and performance characteristics.
Ahead of the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton openly acknowledged that not participating in the Abu Dhabi test represents a setback. He admitted that this missed track time could create a disadvantage as preparations ramp up for the 2025 season, making the need for efficiency during pre-season testing even more critical: “Am I missing out on something? For sure. It definitely delays the process and makes the start of the year harder, but we’ll do our best to recover.” – the future Ferrari driver explained.
The seven-time world champion disclosed that he never directly requested Mercedes to allow him the opportunity to drive the 2024 Ferrari contender. However, he conceded that, in hindsight, he recognized it was unlikely that such a request would have been granted. Despite the possibility, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that the situation was probably always going to unfold in a way where this particular opportunity was not realistically going to materialize.
“Look, I know Fred wanted it to happen,” he added. “For me, I was in two minds. Driving the red car for the first time in Abu Dhabi does not excite me. In a perfect world, you’d get to drive it and not be seen and do the first rollout next year. When I did race it, obviously with Toto, they had all these plans that I’ve got to go and see some of the sponsors and say their farewells. So I don’t think it was ever going to actually be allowed, even if I’d asked to have done it. But because I’m contracted to the team until December 31st, and that’s totally fine. But it doesn’t bother me, again, because I wasn’t going to do the test. It’s not what I wanted to do. I told Fred that’s not what I wanted to do.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion concluded.
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