Latest news with #SF-23
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Drives Ferrari SF-25 For A Shakedown
Read the full story on Backfire News Lewis Hamilton has finally been able to take the new Ferrari SF-25 Formula One car for an official shakedown. With excitement for the start of this season, people are beyond eager to see what the former Mercedes driver can do in reportedly had significant feedback for his Scuderia Ferrari HP team, asking for a number of changes to his car before pre-season testing in Bahrain. Italpassion makes the changes sound minor in its report, with one of the biggest being brake pedal feedback. He's struggled to adjust to his new team and the unfamiliar equipment in Ferraris. Previously, Hamilton ran off a track in Spain at over 200 kmh while testing with the SF-23, delaying his and Charles Leclerc's training progress by a few days. In the meantime, LecLerc was not only reportedly faster in his laps behind the wheel of the SF-25, the driver said the shakedown was a 'good first sign' of things to come. There's been considerable speculation how he will stack up against Hamilton at the various Grands Prix, or perhaps the other way around. Still, many F1 fans have expressed how surreal it is to see Hamilton wearing red and behind the wheel of a Ferrari. After all, everyone is used to seeing the man racing for Mercedes, so this might take more adjustment. According to Ferrari, the SF-25 while completely new is an evolution of the SF-24 instead of a revolutionary design. One of the changes present on the new car is a new approach to aerodynamics, especially on the belly. The idea is to better control pressure loss by reducing the size of the tombes. In short, this helps with keeping the air flowing smoothly over the rear at different angles as the driver negotiates turns, increasing stability. Many in the engineering world seem to be praising the design, but we'll have to see how the car performs on the track. Image via Formula 1/X
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Is Barred From Practicing In Old Ferraris
Read the full story on Backfire News Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton has been barred from driving Scuderia Ferrari HP's older cars anymore. After crashing a Ferrari SF-23 last month, Hamilton now has to cool his heels as far as time on the track, waiting until he can get behind the wheel of the new 2025 to new F1 Testing of Previous Car (TPC) regulations Ferrari and other teams pushed for last year, Hamilton is essentially relegated to simulators only. That's because the rules state a driver can only log 1,000 km of TPC over a maximum of four days. Hamilton crashed the SF-23 on his second day of TPC in January. While waiting for the SF-23 repairs, the team had Hamilton do a tire test for Pirelli in a modified SF-24, using up his third day of TPC. Once the badly damaged car was finally repaired, the British F1 driver could only get behind the wheel for one more day. Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc wasn't able to get any time in the SF-23 on the day of the crash, so he still was able to log two full days of testing once the vehicle was ready to go again. He also participated in the tire testing for Pirelli. We'll see what kind of impact this development has on Lewis Hamilton's preparation for the start of the F1 season. While Ferrari blew off the Hamilton crash after it happened, behaving like it was just part of the process of dialing in its newest star, we wonder how the team feels now behind closed doors. Are they still confident Lewis Hamilton is going to come out swinging in the first race of the season, or is there a sense of growing trepidation about things? Image via Scuderia Ferrari HP/Facebook
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton trails Charles Leclerc on final day of F1 test as Ferrari times vs McLaren revealed
Lewis Hamilton has completed his third testing stint since joining Ferrari – but trailed teammate Charles Leclerc on the final day in Barcelona. The 40-year-old Briton, who drove the 2023 SF-23 car in Fiorano a fortnight ago and Barcelona last week, took part in a Pirelli tyre test on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Driving a modified version of last year's SF-24 car to fit the narrower 2026 tyres, Hamilton posted a fastest lap time of 1:15:93 over 87 laps on Tuesday. This time was just over a tenth-of-a-second quicker than Leclerc's fastest time over 86 laps – 1:16:06. However, both times were short of Lando Norris ' fastest lap in the MCL60 (McLaren 's modified 2023 car), which was 1:15:21 – though Norris did rack up 159 laps throughout the day. Yet on Wednesday, Leclerc topped the timesheet with a 1:14:971 after 74 laps of running. Oscar Piastri was almost a second behind with a 1:15:815, while Hamilton set a quickest lap of 1:16:759 – 0.8 seconds down on his fastest time on Tuesday. While lap times are largely irrelevant given each driver carried out different programmes on behalf of Pirelli, it is another box ticked for Hamilton as he acclimatises to a new team following 12 years and six world titles with Mercedes. The seven-time F1 world champion did crash the SF-23 in Ferrari 's behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona last week, though was said to be 'absolutely fine' following a shunt in sector three of the 4.6km circuit. It follows a trend of Hamilton crashing in pre-season tests ahead of his first season with a new team, as he did for McLaren in 2007 and Mercedes in 2013. This week, tyre manufacturer Pirelli's programme was focused on the development of their slick tyres, ahead of new engine and chassis regulations coming into force next year. The precise details of the drivers' compound use and run plans were not disclosed. Alpine will test for Pirelli next Thursday-Friday in Jerez, with McLaren and Mercedes also carrying out a day of testing each. On 2-3 March, Alpine and Williams will take part in further tyre testing for the manufacturer Meanwhile, Hamilton could take part in more private TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) sessions – likely to be at Ferrari's track in Fiorano – before the official pre-season test in Bahrain on 26-28 February. Ferrari officially launch their 2025 car – the SF-25 – on Wednesday 19 February, but will reveal their livery at the 10-team season launch event at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February. Hamilton's first race for Ferrari will be the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne – a venue he has tasted success at two times – on 16 March. The race was confirmed this week to have a 3pm local start time (4am GMT).
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton completes third F1 test stint as Ferrari times vs McLaren revealed
Lewis Hamilton has completed his third testing stint since joining Ferrari on Wednesday – with just over a month until his F1 debut for the Scuderia. The 40-year-old Briton, who drove the 2023 SF-23 car in Fiorano a fortnight ago and Barcelona last week, took part in a Pirelli tyre test on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Driving a modified version of last year's SF-24 car to fit the narrower 2026 tyres, Hamilton posted a fastest lap time of 1:15:93 over 87 laps on Tuesday. This time was just over a tenth-of-a-second quicker than Charles Leclerc 's fastest time over 86 laps – 1:16:06. However, both times were short of Lando Norris ' fastest lap in the MCL60 (McLaren 's modified 2023 car), which was 1:15:21 – though Norris did rack up 159 laps throughout the day. Hamilton and Leclerc shared duties once again on Wednesday, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the cockpit for the full day. Pirelli are yet to release today's timings. It is another box ticked for Hamilton, though, as he acclimatises to a new team following 12 years and six world titles with Mercedes. The seven-time F1 world champion did crash the SF-23 in Ferrari's behind-closed-doors test in Barcelona last week, though was said to be 'absolutely fine' following a shunt in sector three of the 4.6km circuit. It follows a trend of Hamilton crashing in pre-season tests ahead of his first season with a new team, as he did for McLaren in 2007 and Mercedes in 2013. This week, tyre manufacturer Pirelli's programme was focused on the development of their slick tyres, ahead of new engine and chassis regulations coming into force next year. The precise details of the drivers' compound use and run plans were not disclosed. Hamilton could take part in more private TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) sessions – likely to be at Ferrari's track in Fiorano – before the official pre-season test in Bahrain on 26-28 February. Ferrari officially launch their 2025 car – the SF-25 – on Wednesday 19 February, but will reveal their livery at the 10-team season launch event at The O2 Arena in London on 18 February. Hamilton's first race for Ferrari will be the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne – a venue he has tasted success at two times – on 16 March. The race was confirmed this week to have a 3pm local start time (4am GMT).
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Ferrari reveal name of Lewis Hamilton's first Scuderia F1 car for 2025 season
Ferrari have confirmed that their 2025 F1 car will be called the SF-25, in line with their last two Scuderia challengers. Lewis Hamilton will debut in scarlet red this year and is set to drive the SF-25 for the first time at the official three-day pre-season test in Bahrain from 26-28 February. The last year which didn't feature the 'SF' acronym as the title of the Ferrari car was 2022. That year, the F1-75 challenger was a nod to the 75th anniversary since the first Ferrari production car was unveiled in Maranello. Hamilton's first race in the SF-25 will be the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 16 March. The seven-time F1 world champion, who partners Charles Leclerc this year, is currently undergoing a series of private tests in the 2023 car – the SF-23 – as he continues his acclimatisation with Ferrari machinery. Hamilton crashed his car in Barcelona on Wednesday, maintaining an intriguing testing trend dating back to his rookie year in 2007. The 40-year-old was unharmed in the incident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, though the damage was enough to curtail a planned testing afternoon for Leclerc. Hamilton is set to take part in a Pirelli tyre test next week, again in Barcelona, ahead of new regulations in 2026. McLaren are also set to take part. The British driver is then expected to be present at the 10-team season launch event, F1 75 Live, at the O2 Arena in London on Tuesday 18 February. Ferrari officially unveil the SF-25 a day later. Hamilton, who won six titles in 12 years at Mercedes, is eyeing a record-breaking eighth F1 world championship this year as he looks to pass Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher 's title tally.
