Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 23,…
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso completed Pirelli tyre test at Jerez on Tuesday
Lewis Hamilton was on track today (Tuesday) driving a Mercedes in a Pirelli tyre test.
Fernando Alonso joined him at the Jerez circuit in Spain, partaking in the tyre test with Aston Martin.
Alonso’s best lap time was 1’18”752, according to Albert Fabrega.
Lewis Hamilton clocked 1’18”936.
The lap times, of course, do not matter and the test is solely for the benefit of Pirelli, the official tyre supplier for F1.
Alonso completed 156 laps at Jerez, Hamilton did 126. They followed different tyre development programmes.
Last week, Ferrari completed the first Pirelli tests of the year.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Mercedes’ George Russell will take over Pirelli testing duties in Jerez.
Alonso and Hamilton were back behind the wheels of their 2023 F1 cars for the tyre test.
That meant Hamilton returned to the dreaded W14 for his first drive of 2024, one of the two cars that he has failed to win a single grand prix in.
In 2022 and 2023 Hamilton went winless, as Mercedes fell behind the dominant Red Bulls.
The new Mercedes for 2024 – the W15 – will be launched on February 14 at Silverstone.
Reportedly featuring different cockpit position (a key request from Hamilton from last season) and a lighter gearbox among its developments, Mercedes hope the W15 will be the car to restore them to the front of F1.
They have also ditched the ‘zeropod’ concept that blighted them over the past two years.
The W15 will, of course, be the final Mercedes that Hamilton will drive in F1.
From 2025 he will join Ferrari on a multi-year agreement which should take him into his 40s.
