Ferrari’s behind-closed-doors testing at Barcelona took an unexpected turn this week when Lewis Hamilton crashed while getting up to speed with his new team. While details remain scarce, Italian media reports suggest the incident happened late in the morning, possibly in the final corner of the circuit.
But while some might rush to criticize Hamilton, the reality is far more nuanced.
The Car That Bit Hamilton – Why the SF-23 Was a Nightmare
Hamilton wasn’t driving the latest Ferrari challenger, but rather the 2023 SF-23, which was notorious for being unpredictable, particularly in high-speed corners.
This is the car that Ferrari struggled with all season, winning just one race (Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore, which also happened to be the only non-Red Bull win of 2023). The car suffered from a nasty aerodynamic instability—particularly through fast corners and in crosswinds.
Ferrari made incremental updates throughout 2023, but the fundamental rear-end snappiness never fully disappeared. Even Charles Leclerc, who prefers an oversteering car, found it difficult to push with confidence.
Given these challenges, Hamilton’s crash was almost inevitable as he learned the limits of a car with known weaknesses.
What Does This Mean for Hamilton?
This test wasn’t about raw speed or performance evaluation—it was simply about Hamilton getting comfortable with Ferrari’s systems, ergonomics, and operational procedures.
If anything, this crash underscores how different Ferrari’s handling characteristics are compared to what Hamilton has been used to at Mercedes. If he was expecting a smoother ride in Maranello, this week was likely a wake-up call.
That said, this is NOT the car he will be racing in 2025. The SF-25—the new Ferrari challenger for this season—is expected to be an evolution of the much-improved 2024 car, which corrected many of the SF-23’s worst flaws.
The Bigger Picture – Why This Test Doesn’t Tell Us Much
Hamilton’s Barcelona outing was never meant to be performance-related. The real pre-season evaluation will come during testing in Bahrain, where Ferrari’s actual 2025 car will hit the track.
Next week, Hamilton will get another run in a modified 2024 Ferrari as part of Pirelli’s 2026 tire development program, but again, that won’t be a true representation of the car he’ll drive in the upcoming season.
For now, Hamilton is simply gathering data, getting familiar with Ferrari’s ecosystem, and shaking off the rust.
His real test? February in Bahrain. That’s where Hamilton’s Ferrari era truly begins. 🏎️🔥
