On the Fiorano circuit, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari write a brand new chapter in motorsport historical past. On Wednesday, shortly after 9 within the morning, the seven-time System 1 world champion hit the observe of the Prancing Horse for the primary time, formally sealing his union with Ferrari. The roar of the hybrid turbocharged 066/12 V6 engine pierced by means of the fog enveloping Maranello because the Englishman accomplished his preliminary laps, warming the hearts of over 1,000 followers gathered on the long-lasting bridge of the Italian city. Let’s delve into the triumphant day of the brand new Ferrari driver aboard an Italian single-seater.
The primary historic lap was what we might name a traditional in-out, with moist tires used as a precaution on the damp and slippery observe. After getting acquainted with the circuit and making preliminary changes to the automotive, Lewis Hamilton returned to the observe with Medium tires. On this stint, the British driver accomplished about 12 laps, progressively rising his tempo because the tire temperature rose. This allowed him to realize extra reference factors for the observe structure. The Brit alternated between push laps and cool-down laps.
Solely within the ultimate part of this primary run did the seven-time System 1 world champion full three consecutive flying laps, with the very best recorded time at 59.4 seconds. Earlier than returning to the storage, he carried out a apply begin, which was not good because it was the primary try, adopted by a gathering with the engineers to offer suggestions on the dealing with of the SF-23 automotive. The third stint of the 7-time F1 world champion started after a 53-minute pit cease. This complete debriefing included, amongst different issues, modifications to the automotive’s base setup primarily based on Lewis Hamilton’s exact directions.
The Italian automotive, bearing the quantity 44, was outfitted with Exhausting tires, which weren’t supreme for the damp observe. After two laps, rain arrived to complicate issues. Because of this, Lewis Hamilton’s lap instances have been moderately gradual, with a number of exams targeted on the pit lane limiter and hybrid system mappings. The Englishman confronted explicit traction points, combating vital oversteer and wheel spin throughout acceleration phases. The previous Mercedes champion accomplished solely three laps, with unremarkable instances exceeding 1 minute and 10 seconds.
The fourth stint started at 10:40, nonetheless utilizing the white-banded Pirelli tires. Lewis Hamilton accomplished one other 10 laps, bringing the whole to about 26. Throughout this run, the tempo elevated considerably, with the Briton clearly pushing the bounds of the Ferrari F1 automotive. This led to a number of lock-ups and some off-track moments, notably at Flip 1 and Flip 9, the tightest hairpin on the circuit. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton had the possibility to make use of the drag discount system on the primary straight, testing the system that prompts the movable wing to cut back drag.
Because the laps went on, the previous Mercedes driver tailored his driving model. Benefiting from a progressively drying observe, Lewis Hamilton managed to restrict and ultimately remove the bothersome oversteer on exit from the hairpin. This adjustment allowed him to push tougher, with lap instances dropping considerably, shaving off greater than 5 seconds per lap. Earlier than returning to the Fiorano storage, additional apply begins have been carried out to check the clutch-release system. Lewis Hamilton’s fifth and ultimate run was a lot shorter.
It consisted of simply three laps to finish a program of roughly 100 kilometers. The tires used have been once more Exhausting, and the British driver loved the heat of the group gathered across the observe. Thus ended the Briton’s first day as a Ferrari driver. After the exams, he made his method to the followers pressed towards the fences to greet them. The emotion was undoubtedly vital for Lewis Hamilton as nicely, in entrance of a degree of help unseen anyplace else on the planet. Alternatively, it may be stated that for him, too, a childhood dream got here true: driving a purple automotive, a Ferrari.
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