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The Secret MotoGP Test That Nearly Ended Lewis Hamilton’s 2018 F1 Season

Virgilio Machado by Virgilio Machado
February 3, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton’s secret superbike test: ‘He fell… but he’s a natural on two wheels!’

Few athletes in motorsport history possess the sheer adaptability of Lewis Hamilton. Whether in a Formula 1 car, a GT racer, or—shockingly—a MotoGP prototype, the seven-time world champion’s ability to extract elite-level performance from anything with an engine is the stuff of legend.

Now, thanks to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, we have confirmation that Hamilton’s secret MotoGP test in 2018 was far more dramatic than anyone realized—complete with a high-speed crash that was kept under wraps at the time.


Hamilton’s Secret Test: Unleashing His Inner MotoGP Star

In 2018, ahead of what would become a fiercely contested F1 season between Mercedes and Ferrari, Hamilton quietly arranged to test a Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike at the Jerez Circuit in Spain.

It wasn’t just a casual spin around the track—Hamilton was shockingly fast, lapping just four seconds off the pace of full-time MotoGP riders. That kind of speed is unheard of for someone who isn’t a professional motorcycle racer, proving once again why Hamilton is one of the greatest racing talents in history.

However, things didn’t go entirely to plan.


Wolff’s Shock: How He Found Out About the Crash

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff—who has famously managed Hamilton’s career with both admiration and a healthy dose of concern—was completely unaware of the test at the time.

In a recent interview on the Armchair Expert podcast, Wolff admitted that the first time he heard about it was after Hamilton had already crashed.

“I wasn’t warned Lewis had decided to ride at Jerez,” Wolff revealed. “Then I got a call from my strategy manager and one of his engineers who was particularly passionate about motorcycles. He told me that everything was fine, they had finished driving. And he added: ‘Whatever you may come to know, know that Lewis is fine.’”

At that moment, Wolff knew something had gone wrong. The revelation that Hamilton had gone down on two wheels, just months before the F1 season opener, must have sent shivers down the Mercedes pit wall.

Had the accident been more severe, it could have jeopardized Hamilton’s title defense—and possibly changed the course of F1 history.


A Crash That Could Have Changed Everything

While Hamilton walked away unscathed, history shows just how dangerous cycling injuries can be for elite-level F1 drivers.

🔴 Fernando Alonso suffered a fractured jaw after a cycling accident in 2022, nearly forcing him to miss testing.
🟢 Lance Stroll broke his wrist in 2024 from a similar fall, forcing him to miss part of the pre-season and race in visible discomfort.

Had Hamilton suffered a major injury in Jerez, Mercedes’ 2018 campaign—which saw them lock horns with Ferrari in an intense title fight—could have unraveled. Instead, Hamilton went on to secure his fifth championship, while Mercedes continued their era of dominance.


“Four Seconds Off MotoGP Pace”—A Staggering Display of Talent

Despite the crash, Wolff admitted that Hamilton’s raw speed on a MotoGP-spec bike was beyond extraordinary.

“They told me that Lewis was lapping just four seconds behind the MotoGP riders. An incredible result.”

That gap—four seconds—might sound significant, but in reality, it’s astonishingly close for someone who isn’t a full-time motorcycle racer. The difference between an average professional MotoGP rider and an elite one is often measured in tenths, not seconds.

“This sensitivity for speed is the secret that makes Lewis a natural talent and therefore a champion.”

Hamilton’s ability to switch disciplines and immediately find elite-level pace is something only a handful of drivers in history have been capable of.


Hamilton’s Legendary Bike Swap With Valentino Rossi

If the 2018 Yamaha test was a secret, Hamilton’s next two-wheel experiment was anything but.

In 2019, Monster Energy arranged a historic swap between two icons of their respective sports:
🏍️ Valentino Rossi took the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG F1 car
🏎️ Lewis Hamilton rode Rossi’s Yamaha M1 MotoGP bike

It was a marketing spectacle, but also a showcase of Hamilton’s sheer versatility. Rossi, a seven-time MotoGP champion, knew exactly how difficult it was to transition between cars and bikes—and yet, Hamilton impressed even “The Doctor” with his ability to adapt.


Final Thoughts: Hamilton’s Insatiable Need for Speed

Lewis Hamilton has built his legend not just on dominance in F1, but on an insatiable hunger for speed—in any form. Whether it’s testing MotoGP bikes, dabbling in rally cars, or pushing the boundaries of an F1 car, his extraordinary feel for physics, balance, and speed makes him one of the most naturally gifted racers of all time.

His secret Yamaha test in Jerez was just another reminder of his relentless passion for motorsport.

And had it gone differently, it might have changed the course of F1 history forever.

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