FORMULA ONE 2025.

[Cleoriff]

From 1/1/2025 Lewis Hamilton became a Ferrari driver.

The Ferrari media team released a very clever post.

Note the time it was posted. 16.44. 16  is Charles Leclerc's race number and 44 is Lewis Hamiltons number. (they are now team mates). Interesting to note that Mercedes have lost just under a million followers and Ferrari have gained over a million.

With all his farewell commitments to Mercedes, Lewis has not tested in last years Ferrari. (All new drivers did a test run in Abu Dhabi.) It's understood, he will be testing in Marinello, Italy, later this month.

A lot to learn. New car, new steering wheel, new team, new race engineer and new language.

Personally, I'm not expecting him to do that well initially. Only time will tell.

* F1 live at the O2 Arena London. February

* Pre- Season Testing in Bahrain 26th-28th February.

* 1st Race - Australia Friday March 14th-Sunday 16th March.

[Cleoriff]

Testing Day 2 AM

Excuse poor image. Taken from TV. 😂

[Cleoriff]

Testing Day 2 AM. Official image!

Piastri had no running as there were some issues with parts for the car. McLaren still not out on track with Norris.

There was some rain this morning.

[Cleoriff]

Final results for 2nd day AM session. McLaren managed to get Piastri's car fixed and on track.

[Cleoriff]

Day 2 PM session

[Cleoriff]

Final Day of Testing

Day 3 AM results.

[Cleoriff]

Final session of testing (Day 3)

[Cleoriff]

Top 5 fastest times in 3 days of testing.

 

Sainz: 1:29:348

Hamilton: 1:29:379

Leclerc: 1:29:431

Russell: 1:29:545

Verstappen: 1:29:566

[pgn]

But " absolutely nothing can be read into testing times. " 🤐

Or is this the real thing now?

[Cleoriff]

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@pgn wrote:

But " absolutely nothing can be read into testing times. " 🤐

Or is this the real thing now?

---

It really makes me laugh @pgn.

This is the media. THEY are the ones who keep reiterating 'It's testing, we can't read anything into it'.....they are the same people who print the results and make such a big thing about it!

TBH, the Sainz result is the only one worth mentioning. He now drives for Williams and in the 80's, Williams were a brilliant race winning team, who sadly have slipped down the team ratings.

A couple of years ago they bottom.

They now have a new manager and more sponsors. 

Last year they finished 7th out of 10 teams. The best result for years.

So for Sainz to top the leaderboard, is a brilliant feat

However, it IS testing.

All the teams are looking at different data. They are using different tyres, variable fuel loads etc etc etc.

McLaren, who won the constructors championship in Dec 24, didn't have a driver in the testing top five.

So, until March 14th when the first race in Australia is over, we really have no idea who will win.

[pgn]

Which begs the question, @Cleoriff: do all the cars in a proper race, regardless of team, use the same tyres (brand, presumably, rather then slicks, wets, intermediates, etc...) and identical fuel (same supplier) and quantity in each car?