Pirelli
General
Many ambiguities, but this is what Hamilton's Ferrari test tells us
- Ludo van Denderen
Lewis Hamilton was just faster than his teammate Charles Leclerc over the first day of the Pirelli test with the 2026 tyres in Barcelona. A sign that the British former champion already has the upper hand over the Monegasque? That would be far-fetched conclusion, but the first day in Spain certainly revealed something.
On the opening day of the Pirelli tyre test, Hamilton set a fastest time of 1:15.93 while Leclerc completed a 1:16.060, but there are obviously a many unknown aspects: What compound tyres were Hamilton and Leclerc using? And what was the temperature of the asphalt? Did they set their fastest time in the morning on the in the afternoon?
So obviously, nothing can be read from the times per se. But the fact that Hamilton was at least close to his teammate does say that the Brit already feels in place with his new employer. There seems to be no questions about needing more time to adjust to the Ferrari car, Hamilton is able to push Ferrari's SF-24 car to the limit.
The crash that took place a week ago also did not cause a snap in Hamilton's confidence. It will please Ferrari, as the team has made a hefty investment to bring in a 40-year-old driver, someone who has not always seemed happy at Mercedes in recent years.
But as Juan Pablo Montoya said earlier: if Hamilton has the right material - and is therefore highly motivated - then he is undoubtedly someone to be more than seriously considered as a challenger. And the Briton seems to have found comfort - otherwise it is impossible to be as fast as the already Ferrari-experienced Leclerc in a completely new environment and with a completely unfamiliar car.
Can Hamilton maintain that good feeling with the Ferrari cars?
On this Wednesday, Ferrari (just like McLaren) are up for the second and final day of testing for Pirelli. For Hamilton, it must be important to maintain that good feeling before he prepares for the launch of the SF-25 and then the shakedown of the car with which he wants to compete for victories this season. The test days in Bahrain towards the the end of the month will then surely reveal whether that is realistic or not. If so, Hamilton will no doubt be even happier with team principal Frederic Vasseur's red crew.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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