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Hamilton Reflects on Skipping Ferrari’s Abu Dhabi Test
Lewis Hamilton has expressed that missing the opportunity to join Ferrari for the upcoming post-season Abu Dhabi test adds challenges to his transition as he prepares to change teams. However, he admits that he never envisioned his initial experience with Ferrari happening at this particular venue.
The seven-time world champion recently confirmed his move from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2024 season, finalizing an agreement with the storied Italian team earlier this year. To support Hamilton’s integration into his new environment, Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, had inquired about bringing Hamilton in for a day of testing following the conclusion of the F1 season.
Unfortunately, due to a series of farewell events organized by Mercedes for Hamilton in December, including one in Malaysia scheduled for the same day as the test, he has been unable to participate. Despite this setback, Hamilton seems unfazed by the missed opportunity to familiarize himself with a Ferrari cockpit and steering wheel, noting a preference for a more subdued start to his Ferrari career.
“I believe driving the red car for the first time in Abu Dhabi doesn’t thrill me,” Hamilton remarked. “In an ideal scenario, I would rather have a rollout that is less public and away from the media attention, ideally next year.”
He further explained, “When I discussed this with Toto [Wolff], it was clear that Mercedes had planned sponsorship commitments and farewells for me. I completely understand my contractual obligations until December 31st, and I wasn’t overly keen on the test anyway.”
Hamilton acknowledged the implications of this decision, stating, “I am certainly missing out on something important. It complicates the commencement of the upcoming season, but we will strive to catch up when the time comes.”
According to reports from Autosport, Ferrari intends to arrange Hamilton’s first drive in a previous model, which will likely be either the 2022 or 2023 car, in January at Fiorano. This session is expected to take place ahead of the first pre-season testing in Bahrain that is scheduled for February.
Vasseur expressed confidence in Hamilton’s capabilities, suggesting that a few days of practice in an older car, combined with the scheduled mileage in Bahrain, would suffice to bring Hamilton up to speed quickly. “He doesn’t require an extensive acclimatization period. His experience could have him competitive from the outset or quite shortly thereafter. We will have one or two private testing days followed by the test in Bahrain, and that should be enough,” Vasseur added.
As Hamilton prepares for this new chapter in his storied racing career, the coming weeks will be pivotal as he begins to acclimatize to the Ferrari team ahead of the new season.
Source
www.autosport.com