Lewis Hamilton breaks silence as details of Ferrari F1 test crash emerge
Today at 05:48 AM
Sir Lewis Hamilton has spoken out for the first time after he crashed during a pre-season test which caused ‘significant damage’ to his Ferrari.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion’s Ferrari career began last week and he has been testing some of their older cars in order to get acclimatised with his new team.
Things have got off to a shaky start however as on Wednesday morning he went into the barriers at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Thankfully, Hamilton was unhurt in the crash and Ferrari themselves were not too concerned, considering the incident to be just a minor blip and part and parcel of a new driver adjusting to new machinery.
However, new details of the crash have emerged, suggesting it was a bit more serious than first reported.
It is said Hamilton lost control after hitting a ‘bump’ at turn 12 of the Spanish Grand Prix track, with his SF-23 suffering ‘severe’ and ‘significant’ suspension and bodywork damage.
Reports claim that Ferrari even sent a 'specialist composites technician' to Barcelona to assess the damage.
Moreover, it meant that the car could not be repaired before the end of the day, with teammate Charles Leclerc unable to drive in the afternoon session as planned.
But the Monegasque was reportedly ‘not too disappointed’ by missing out on some running as the test was mainly just an opportunity for him to get back to full fitness following the winter break.
Indeed, crashes in pre-season testing are nothing new with Hamilton previously binning his McLaren in 2007 and Mercedes in 2013 the first time he drove for them.
And this latest incident does not appear to have dampened the 40-year-old’s spirits, as he posted a message to his fans on social media on Thursday evening.
‘First race can't come soon enough,’ the Brit wrote on Instagram as he shared some new pictures of him with the Scuderia.
Next week, Hamilton will be back at Barcelona driving Ferrari’s 2024 car in a Pirelli tyre test before the official pre-season test in Bahrain from February 26-28.
The Prancing Horse will unveil this year’s car for the first time on February 19, the day after F1’s launch event in London.
The 2025 Formula 1 season starts on March 14-16 with the Australian Grand Prix.
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