P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Crashing is an occupational hazard in F1 testing, as Lewis Hamilton has just found out. But were he to have this kind of incident in any ground-effect era Ferrari, it would almost certainly be the 2023 car: its least successful so far, with the worst traits
Details of Lewis Hamilton’s recent crash during the Barcelona Formula 1 test at Ferrari are scarce due to the private nature of the testing session. Italian media reports indicate that the crash occurred towards the end of his allotted half-day of running, with no specific cause mentioned, although driver error is a probable explanation. Crashing is not uncommon during testing, especially as drivers push the limits in a new car, as Hamilton has experienced in previous seasons with McLaren and Mercedes.
The 2023 Ferrari that Hamilton tested has a specific flaw that could catch out a driver unfamiliar with its characteristics, particularly at high-speed corners like the final turn in Barcelona. Despite efforts to improve the car’s performance with upgrades throughout the season, the underlying traits of the car, such as rear-end unpredictability, were never completely eliminated.
While the car did see some success, including a win at the Singapore Grand Prix, drivers like Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc faced challenges in consistently driving it to its potential. Hamilton’s crash serves as a reminder of the unique challenges he must navigate as a driver, even when handling a demanding car like the 2023 Ferrari.
