Hamilton drives Mercedes F1 car for first time since exit was announced

Lewis Hamilton got behind the wheel of a Mercedes Formula 1 car for the first time since it was announced he would be leaving the team to join Ferrari in 2025.

The Briton was present at the Jerez circuit in Spain along with erstwhile team-mate and current Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso to conduct tyre testing for Pirelli.

Both drivers managed to cover a combined mileage of over 1,200 kilometres between them at the former Spanish Grand Prix venue through a total of 282 laps.

Hamilton logged 126 of those and recorded a best lap time of 1:18.936s with the W14, which will stand as his penultimate Mercedes car before he heads to Ferrari.

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Meanwhile, Alonso was reunited with the AMR23 challenger in which he scooped eight podiums last term, completing 156 laps and lapping at a peak of 1:18.752s.

However, lap times during testing remain not the targeted ambition, with the programmes instead tailored towards helping Pirelli develop its 2025 specification tyres.

Each of the 10 current teams will get the chance to work with the Italian manufacturer at some stage this year, with Mercedes and Aston Martin continuing today.

Alonso and Hamilton’s respective team-mates, Lance Stroll and George Russell, will take on testing duties, with Ferrari having run its SF-23 car at Fiorano last week.

Ferrari also took advantage of teams being permitted to use cars at least two years old to run its 2022 creation, the first created for the latest ground effect regulations.

That private test took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the Italian marque’s 2024 reserve driver Oliver Bearman and development driver Arthur Leclerc.