Lewis Hamilton begins second day of Ferrari Pirelli tyre test at Fiorano

Lewis Hamilton is back behind the wheel of a Ferrari for a second consecutive day, conducting an intensive Pirelli wet-weather tyre test at the team's Fiorano circuit. The seven-time champion logged over 140 laps on the opening day, simulating various conditions on next year's proposed tyre compounds during what would have been a race week on the F1 calendar.

Why it matters:

This test represents one of Hamilton's first major on-track engagements with Ferrari since announcing his shock move for 2025, offering crucial early mileage and integration with his future team. For Pirelli, gathering data with a top driver on next year's wet and intermediate tyres is vital for development ahead of the 2025 season, aiming to improve performance in variable conditions.

The details:

• Hamilton completed a marathon 142 laps (423 km) on the first day of the test, exclusively driving the SF-24.
• The focus was on evaluating 2025 prototype wet-weather tyres, with the circuit kept artificially wet using Fiorano's sophisticated irrigation system despite ambient temperatures of 21°C.
• His running included tests on full wet configurations before switching to different intermediate tyre variants later in the day.
• Hamilton's fastest lap time during the wet running was recorded as a 1:01.031.
• The test schedule was planned for the original 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, keeping Hamilton occupied during a gap in the revised calendar.

What's next:

The test provides Hamilton with invaluable seat time in a Ferrari and begins the process of building a working relationship with the team's engineers and mechanics. While the immediate data benefits Pirelli's tyre development, the long-term gain for Hamilton is accelerating his adaptation to a new car and team culture ahead of his official race debut in red next season. Further private tests and simulator work will be key parts of this transition throughout the remainder of 2024.