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Lap Time Showdown: Hamilton and Leclerc Go Head-to-Head in Ferrari Test

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Lap Time Showdown: Hamilton and Leclerc Go Head-to-Head in Ferrari Test

Source – F1 oversteer

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are comparable, according to data from Hamilton’s most recent Ferrari F1 test.

Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated outing in Ferrari’s latest Formula 1 machinery at Barcelona sent ripples through the paddock, as the seven-time world champion took another step in his journey with the Scuderia. This marked Hamilton’s first opportunity to get behind the wheel of Ferrari’s current challenger, the SF-24, following his previous private tests in the SF-23. The setting was the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a venue where he had made headlines just a week prior due to an unfortunate crash in Ferrari’s 2023 car.
The two-day test, jointly conducted with McLaren, formed part of Pirelli’s crucial 2026 tyre development programme. Unlike Hamilton’s previous sessions with Ferrari, which had focused on his adaptation to the car and team environment, this test was entirely dictated by F1’s official tyre supplier. The aim was to analyze the latest constructions for the 2026 tyres while assessing the hard compound range, including the C1, C2, and C3 options. With both teams using modified versions of their respective challengers, the emphasis was placed squarely on tyre performance rather than outright pace.
Despite the session’s focus on development work, Hamilton wasted no time in making an impression. While lap times in such tests often carry little significance due to variable conditions and differing fuel loads, Hamilton still managed to produce a notable performance that caught attention. By the end of the day, the Briton had posted a best lap time of 1m15.930s over 87 laps, narrowly edging out his new teammate Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver, who completed 86 laps, clocked a fastest lap of 1m16.060s, placing him just behind Hamilton on the timesheets.
The only driver to go quicker than Hamilton on the day was McLaren’s Lando Norris, who led the leaderboard with a best time of 1m15.215s. The Briton, at the helm of McLaren’s MCL60 from the 2023 season, completed a staggering 159 laps, underlining McLaren’s commitment to extracting as much data as possible from the session. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s engineers worked meticulously behind the scenes, fine-tuning their testing parameters to maximize their learnings from the session.Source – The Economic Times
In addition to their SF-24 runs, Ferrari also reportedly ran their SF-23 in a separate Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) session on Tuesday. This decision was made to compensate for the lost track time caused by Hamilton’s crash in his earlier outing with the team. It provided both drivers with an opportunity to further familiarize themselves with the handling characteristics of Ferrari’s machinery under controlled conditions.
With day one of the test complete, attention now shifts to the second and final day of running. Hamilton and Leclerc are set to once again split duties for Ferrari, continuing their valuable work for Pirelli. Over at McLaren, Oscar Piastri will take over driving responsibilities from Norris, as the young Australian steps in to contribute to the test programme.
Though the results of such tyre tests may not directly translate into race performance, the sight of Hamilton outpacing Leclerc in their first head-to-head session in Ferrari colors has inevitably sparked intrigue. The real question remains—how much of a benchmark does this set for the future? As Ferrari continues its preparations for the seasons ahead, Hamilton’s early signs of promise will only add to the anticipation surrounding his arrival in Maranello.

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