Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari during the team’s pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday. The British driver, who recently joined Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, was unhurt in the incident. Ferrari declined to comment on the crash, which occurred on Hamilton’s second day of testing alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. The team views the incident as a routine part of Hamilton’s adaptation to their car, given the significant restrictions imposed on testing in Formula 1.
As part of their pre-season programme, Ferrari is running a limited test using their 2023 car—the latest model Hamilton is permitted to drive under F1 regulations. Testing restrictions allow current race drivers to complete a maximum of 1,000km (621 miles) under the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rule.
Before arriving in Barcelona, Hamilton had already completed 30 laps at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track on 22 January. The testing programme is designed to familiarize him with Ferrari’s operations, engineering team—including race engineer Riccardo Adami—and technical procedures. Ferrari will officially launch their 2025 car at Fiorano on 19 February, a day after F1’s season launch event in London.
The team plans to give Hamilton additional track time before then, including a Pirelli tyre test and another two-day session in Barcelona on 4-5 February, using a modified 2025 car to reflect upcoming 2026 regulation changes. Meanwhile, McLaren is conducting a similar Pirelli test at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France as part of preparations for the 2026 season.
