Formula 1

The two elements Ferrari will focus on in Hamilton's second test

Ferrari will spend three days in Barcelona behind closed doors

Franco Nugnes

Edited: Jan 29, 2025, 1:48 PM

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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

Ferrari will focus on two key aspects as Lewis Hamilton returns to action to continue his acclimatisation to the Italian squad in Barcelona.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion made his track debut with the Scuderia at Fiorano last week before embarking on a longer, more significant programme in Spain this week.

Starting on Tuesday, Ferrari will spend three days of private testing at the Barcelona circuit running with a modified SF-23 car that Hamilton will share with team-mate Charles Leclerc.

While Hamilton covered less than 100km in his first outing at Fiorano, the Briton will have more freedom in his second test.

The FIA regulations introduced under the Testing Previous Cars (TPC) rules limit the running to four days per team with its race drivers, with a maximum mileage of 1000 kilometres. Hamilton ran 89km in Fiorano, while Leclerc covered 42km.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

For Barcelona, Ferrari will work under the supervision of new technical director Loic Serra, who replaced Enrico Cardile at the end of last year.

The work of the two drivers will focus on analysing two particular elements: tyre wear, which has been one of the Achilles' heel of the car over the past couple of years, and starts.

Serra has brought with him extensive knowledge about the behaviour of tyres, therefore the trip to Barcelona should prove very useful in understanding tyre usage strategies that may also be beneficial for the 2025 car.

Although the tyres used during the test will not be the same as the ones that will be raced - which are expected to be less sensitive to overheating - the team still hopes to make progress in that area.

Ferrari will be able to evaluate with both drivers how tyre behaviour may vary based on strategies adopted in the preparation lap, depending on temperature and pressures, and then assess their behaviour during a stint to measure wear.

The second focus for the test will be on starts, as the team believes there is still room for improvement not only in the clutch release procedure but also in general acceleration from a standstill.

Electronics experts continue to refine start strategies: the clutch must be manually managed by the driver, but how power is delivered to avoid loss of grip can be the result of perfect power delivery from the combustion engine and the combined action of the hybrid system, which only activates above 100 km/h.

The Scuderia is thus preparing to fine-tune details that could make the difference in a season where the red car aims to be competitive in the fight for both world titles.

In Spain, weather conditions will be significantly more favourable than at Fiorano, allowing Hamilton to familiarise himself with the car while awaiting the debut of the SF-25, scheduled for 19 February.

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