Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari: two important technical aspects of Fiorano test. What use can Lewis Hamilton’s handful of laps have had on the gloomy morning in Modena?.

The long countdown has ended. On Wednesday, Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari took their first steps in Formula 1. Sir Lewis made his debut in red on the Fiorano circuit. As expected, the excitement for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion’s first test was evident in the incredible fan turnout, similar only to Michael Schumacher’s first approach nearly thirty years ago. The English weather conditions did not prevent the driver from Stevenage from completing his daily work schedule.

The arrival of the seven-time world champion was preceded by an enormous communication effort from the historic Italian team, meticulously organized over the past two days. The approximately thirty laps completed by Lewis Hamilton three days ago could be seen as part of this strategy. However, there are strong reasons to believe that what happened on Wednesday was not just “cinema” for the fans around the world. At the same time, let’s reflect on the use of the SF-23, the Testing Previous Cars programme chosen by the Prancing Horse for the track tests.

Thinking about the somewhat surprising decision, as the first test was expected to be with the Ferrari F1-75, it could be argued that the work done by the British driver on this gloomy Wednesday was not necessarily functional to the 2025 technical project, which is still in the assembly phase. This raises the question: What use can Lewis Hamilton’s handful of laps have had on the gloomy morning in Modena? Let’s try to answer this question to understand and justify the choices made by the world’s most successful F1 team.

Considering the limited time spent behind the wheel of the 2023 car, the British driver was able to gather initial impressions on Ferrari’s power unit. At this stage it is important to note that the development of hybrid turbo power units was frozen by the International Federation in September 2022. Lewis Hamilton has always raced with Mercedes-powered cars and is very familiar with the characteristics of the M15 E Performance engine. Therefore, undoubtedly, the approach to the 066/12 engine and its functioning modes was important.

There will certainly be an opportunity to more accurately appreciate the differences between the two power units, which will also be used in 2025 before the introduction of the second-generation power units planned for the future championship. Secondly, the seven-time world champion has always used brake discs from Carbone Industries in the recent past. In contrast, Ferrari has always used Brembo discs. The particular way of using the brakes could be the most important area of learning for the new driver of the historic Maranello team.

A crucial aspect, as Lewis Hamilton has always been accustomed to being very aggressive by delaying the braking point. “Last but not least,” Wednesday’s test session was the first operational track outing and represents the starting point of the learning curve between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari. Both parties involved have begun the process of mutual understanding. For the Englishman, it is about absorbing methods and processes certainly different from those he was used to at Mercedes. The Prancing Horse, on the other hand, will need to understand the British champion’s needs and leverage his wealth of knowledge.

It’s also an opportunity for growth for the Maranello team. In short, what until a few days ago were two foreign elements will now need to learn how to work together and mutually understand the strengths linked to their working methodologies. In this phase, the contribution of Charles Leclerc will be very important. Although younger in age, he represents the veteran of the Maranello team, on the eve of what will be his seventh Formula 1 season as an official Ferrari driver.

For the Monegasque, Ferrari is what Mercedes was for Lewis Hamilton – the team that nurtured him from the lower categories. Charles knows very well that the total knowledge of the environment is a factor in his favor that he will try to exploit, especially in the early part of the season. Fans hope that the technical project 677 will be up to the level of the drivers. If that’s the case, the only potential issue could involve internal management, which is always the sweetest of problems for those fielding a competitive Formula 1 car.