A setback for Lewis Hamilton at the Barcelona tests saw the British driver crash into the barriers, severely damaging his Ferrari. He was supposed to hand over the SF-23 to Charles Leclerc for the afternoon session, but the extent of the damage prevented the Monegasque from completing any laps.
Hamilton continues a tradition dating back to his McLaren days—when faced with a new-generation car, he ends up putting it into the wall, fortunately without any consequences. While this is all part of adapting to Ferrari’s new design philosophy and handling, his incident in Barcelona might lead to changes in Maranello’s test plans.
According to Craig Slater of Sky Sports F1, neither Hamilton nor Leclerc were originally scheduled to drive after today’s session. Thursday’s running was supposed to feature Ferrari’s reserve drivers, but that plan may now be revised.
Craig Slater: “Hamilton’s Crash Is Completely Normal”
Speaking on television, Craig Slater shared insights from a Maranello source: “The big news today is Lewis Hamilton’s crash during a Ferrari test. I was told he is absolutely fine, but the mechanics had to recover the car and bring it back to the garage for repairs.”
“Hamilton hasn’t returned to the track, nor has Charles Leclerc, who was supposed to take over the same car. Ferrari has another day of testing in Barcelona. The initial plan was to run their reserve drivers, but after the crash, it’s possible Leclerc and Hamilton will be back on track before next week’s Pirelli test.” – he pointed out.
“A Ferrari source told me that what happened is completely normal, especially as Hamilton is joining a new team and needs to find the limits of a new car. He had a similar experience with Mercedes, and that partnership didn’t turn out too badly.” – the Sky Sports F1’s British TV Presenter concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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