Lewis Hamilton’s testing program with his new team, Ferrari, hit a snag on Wednesday when the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion crashed the 2023 SF-23 car during a private test session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Hamilton, who recently joined Ferrari after a highly publicized move from Mercedes, was uninjured in the incident, but the car sustained significant damage.
The crash occurred in the final sector of the 4.6km circuit, according to Motorsport.com’s Italian branch. Details about the specific cause of the accident have not been released.
The incident forced the team to postpone Charles Leclerc’s scheduled testing session for the afternoon.
This week, Ferrari has booked the Barcelona circuit for three days of testing with previous-year cars (TPC). These sessions are closed to the public, and lap times are not officially released.
Hamilton’s crash comes just days after he made a highly publicized appearance at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, where he toured the facility, drove the 2023 car around the Fiorano test track, and met with enthusiastic Ferrari fans. During his Fiorano run, Hamilton completed 30 laps, covering 89km.
Looking ahead, Hamilton is scheduled to participate in a Pirelli tire test at the same Barcelona circuit on February 4th and 5th, focusing on the development of tires for the 2026 season.
McLaren will also be involved in this test. More private tests at Fiorano are possible before the official pre-season testing begins in Bahrain from February 26th to 28th.
The 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia on March 16th.
Before the racing gets underway, Hamilton is expected to attend the F1 75 Live season launch event in London on February 18th. Ferrari will unveil their 2025 car the following day.
