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 Formulation 1 world champion hit the monitor 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 via 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 monitor. After getting acquainted with the circuit and making preliminary changes to the automobile, Lewis Hamilton returned to the monitor with Medium tires. On this stint, the British driver accomplished about 12 laps, progressively growing his tempo because the tire temperature rose. This allowed him to achieve extra reference factors for the monitor format. The Brit alternated between push laps and cool-down laps.
Solely within the remaining part of this primary run did the seven-time Formulation 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 supply suggestions on the dealing with of the SF-23 automobile. 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 automobile’s base setup primarily based on Lewis Hamilton’s exact directions.
The Italian automobile, bearing the quantity 44, was outfitted with Exhausting tires, which weren’t preferrred for the damp monitor. After two laps, rain arrived to complicate issues. Consequently, Lewis Hamilton’s lap instances have been relatively gradual, with a number of exams centered on the pit lane limiter and hybrid system mappings. The Englishman confronted specific traction points, scuffling with important 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 boundaries of the Ferrari F1 automobile. This led to a number of lock-ups and some off-track moments, significantly at Flip 1 and Flip 9, the tightest hairpin on the circuit. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton had the prospect to make use of the drag discount system on the primary straight, testing the system that prompts the movable wing to scale back drag.
Because the laps went on, the previous Mercedes driver tailored his driving model. Making the most of a progressively drying monitor, Lewis Hamilton managed to restrict and ultimately eradicate the bothersome oversteer on exit from the hairpin. This adjustment allowed him to push more durable, 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 remaining 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 gang gathered across the monitor. Thus ended the Briton’s first day as a Ferrari driver. After the exams, he made his option to the followers pressed in opposition to the fences to greet them. The emotion was undoubtedly important for Lewis Hamilton as effectively, in entrance of a degree of help unseen wherever else on this planet. Alternatively, it may be stated that for him, too, a childhood dream got here true: driving a crimson automobile, a Ferrari.
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