Ferrari has booked time at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where it will give Lewis Hamilton his second test programme of 2025. Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari this year, will make his test debut on January 20 at Ferrari’s private Fiorano Circuit before a second test at the end of the month in Spain for two days. These tests are permitted under the FIA’s Testing of Previous Cars regulations, which allow up to 1000km of running across four days. The regulations will prevent Hamilton from running in the current-spec or 2024 car, but he can run a car as recent as the 2023 chassis.
Lewis Hamilton will likely inherit Carlos Sainz’s former race engineer Riccardo Adami when he joins Ferrari. Adami has been a race engineer since 2005, starting his career with Toro Rosso (then Minardi). He moved to Ferrari to reunite with Sebastian Vettel until the German left Ferrari at the end of 2020. Initial reports had suggested that Hamilton’s current Mercedes race engineer, Peter Bonnington, could join him at Ferrari, but Bonnington renewed his Mercedes contract this year and is set to stay at the outfit.
McLaren acquired full ownership of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team. The team was originally founded by former driver Sam Schmidt in 2001, a little more than a year after a test crash left him a quadriplegic. In 2013, the team brought on Canadian businessman Ric Peterson as an owner. McLaren partnered with the team in 2020, finally purchasing 75% ownership of the team the following year. A complete buy-out of the team will “grow and strengthen [McLaren’s] presence in North America,” according to CEO Zak Brown.
Work on Red Bull’s new wind tunnel is three months ahead of schedule. Red Bull greenlit the project to replace its more than 70-year-old Bedford-based wind tunnel with a new one at its Milton Keynes campus. Although the old wind tunnel has been upgraded over the years to remain current, the team was concerned that the old tunnel could lead to limitations in the years to come. Red Bull plans to have the win tunnel operational in 2026 to develop its 2027 car.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
