Max Verstappen prompted new F1 rule hampering Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari preparations
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Ferrari are limited in how much they can prepare Lewis Hamilton for life with their machinery by a new rule introduced in response to Max Verstappen. Their newest recruit needs no introduction at all given his status as a seven-time Formula 1 champion and holder of dozens of records. But Hamilton still has to get used to his new surroundings and figure out how best to work with people at Ferrari, with cultural differences and a language barrier also to be navigated.
It was previously the case that, under Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rules, F1 teams were not limited in terms of how much running they could do in two-year-old machinery. However, in 2025, that will no longer be the case. Now, the sporting regulations dictate: "Each competitor may complete a maximum of one thousand kilometres of TPC in each calendar year using drivers entered in the championship, or which they intend to enter in the championship, such distance being accumulated over a maximum of four days.".
That revised rule directly affects Hamilton's preparations for life as a Ferrari driver. The Italians wanted to give their new man as much time behind the wheel of their machinery as possible for him to become familiar, but are now restricted to four days of running in 2025.
And they plan to use all of them in January, it is understood. Ferrari plan to give Hamilton his first taste of their cars in a track day at their own Fiorano circuit in the week commencing January 20, before heading to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the other three days of running at the end of the month.
