Ferrari set to ramp up Hamilton’s preparation with extensive test running at Barcelona

Following his first on-track day with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton is set to rack up more mileage in the coming days as the Scuderia is ramping up its preparation for the upcoming 2025 F1 season. F1Technical’s lead journalist Balazs Szabo reports on Ferrari’s plan for the coming days.

Lewis Hamilton completed his first visit to Ferrari’s Italian headquarters on Monday when he met engineers and the staff at the Scuderia’s F1 department. The Briton then took part in photo shooting on Tuesday before performing work in the simulator.

Hamilton then hit Ferrari’s own test track at Fiorano on Wednesday. Even if weather was far from ideal, the seven-time F1 champion carried out some installation laps and start practices before racking up some mileages on slick tyres to end the day with a total of 30 laps.

The 105-time F1 race winner was supported by his mother Carmen, his former trainer Angela Cullen while team boss Fred Vasseur and deputy team boss Jerome d’Amborosio also looked on.

Reflecting on his first on-track day with Ferrari, Hamilton hailed the experience as “one of the best feelings of my life”.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning, was one of the best feelings of my life,” Hamilton reflected afterwards.

“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost 20 years later, feeling those emotions all over again.

“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi! But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring. That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it.

“I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started,” concluded Hamilton.

More test running for Hamilton

While Lewis Hamilton completed his first lap in the morning, he handed over the 2023 F1 Ferrari to his new team-mate Charles Leclerc in the afternoon. Despite the foggy weather, it was interesting that the British and the Monegasque drivers only completed a total of 131km – 89km with Hamilton and 42km with Leclerc.

The sport’s governing body, the FIA introduced a restriction for this year, limiting teams to only a total of 1000km under the rule that is referred to as Testing of Previous Cars. This allows teams to use two-year-old cars, but the new rule introduced a maximum length of 1000km and a duration of 20 days for each team while regular drivers are allowed to take part in TPC runs only on four days during a calendar year.

This restriction explains why Ferrari elected to limit its running on Wednesday when the weather conditions were far from ideal.

According to AutoRacer.it, Ferrari will travel to Barcelona to perform a more extensive test programme next week. In fact, some of the mechanics have already arrived in Spain to prepare the garages and the SF-23 for the running.

It is believed that the three-day programme will take place on January 29, 29 and 30, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton sharing driving duties across the three days. The two drivers are believed to have carried out work in the simulator after the Wednesday running at Fiorano, and are expected to arrive at Barcelona on Monday.

Following the three-day TPC running, Ferrari will remain in Montmelo to take part in the Pirelli tyre test. That running will see McLaren also join Ferrari at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where Pirelli will try out its 2026 products. The tyre test will mark the first time that Hamilton drives the 2024 F1 Ferrari, the SF-24 as teams are allowed to use their most actual cars during tyre testing.

The 2026-spec tyres will continue to feature 18-inch rims, but the front tyres will be 25mm narrower while the rears will be reduced by 30mm in width compared to the 2025 tyres.