A special dress rehearsal? Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari test at Imola

Even after the Monza/Madrid double-header, some Formula 1 drivers are still hard at work! Ferrari tested with tyre manufacturer Pirelli at Imola yesterday, Tuesday, and will be back on the track again today. And today, Wednesday, the Racing Bulls are also out and about in Emilia-Romagna.

Hamilton and Leclerc in action

On Tuesday, Lewis Hamilton (in the morning) and Charles Leclerc (in the afternoon) tested the new Pirelli prototype tyres for the upcoming 2027 season. They were fitted with the softest compounds: C3, C4 and C5. They each completed stints comprising five performance laps. In total, Hamilton completed 64 laps, covering 314 kilometres. Charles Leclerc drove 63 laps, covering 309 kilometres. Track temperature was 50 degrees Celsius, with air temperatures reaching 32 degrees.

Lewis Hamilton’s fastest lap was 1:19.485 minutes, whilst Charles Leclerc set a best time of 1:18.832 minutes. However, these times are not indicative of their true pace, as the drivers were not chasing lap times. For reference: the pole-setting lap in 2025 (Oscar Piastri, McLaren) was 1:14.670 mins. The fastest race lap in 2025 was 1:17.988 mins (Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing).

Second day of testing on Wednesday

Today, Wednesday, the Ferrari regular drivers have the day off. Test driver Antonio Giovinazzi will be at the wheel of the Scuderia’s car. The Racing Bulls are also out on track. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad – the regular line-up – are in action.

Test could be a good dress rehearsal

Imola is the track of choice because it is close to Milan (Pirelli’s headquarters), Maranello (Ferrari’s headquarters) and Faenza (Racing Bulls’ headquarters), and is a familiar test circuit. Furthermore, the test is likely to be an even more useful outing for all the regular drivers: according to our information, the Plan B for the season finale – should it not be possible to hold it in the Middle East – is a final Grand Prix at Imola. However, nothing has yet been officially decided or announced. Formula 1 wants to keep the options of Qatar and Abu Dhabi open for as long as possible, should the situation in the region improve.

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At present, however, it looks as though the season finale will take place at Imola rather than Abu Dhabi due to the situation in the Middle East. In the paddock, virtually everyone is assuming the season will conclude in Emilia-Romagna. In that respect, the test session on the Italian circuit – which was on the GP calendar until 2025 – could prove to be a useful refresher.