Hamilton, Leclerc to carry out ‘final assessments’ in behind-closed-doors Ferrari test – report
Lewis Hamilton is yet to register a podium finish with Ferrari
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will take to the track at Mugello for a Pirelli tyre test on Friday.
It comes as Pirelli, F1’s sole tyre supplier, makes its ‘final assessments’ of the new tyres for the F1 2026 season.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc to appear in Pirelli tyre test at Mugello
The F1 rules will be overhauled next season as the sport embraces 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics as the chassis and engine regulations change simultaneously.
The tyres will also be made narrower with the fronts reduced by 25 millimetres and the rear tyres made 30mm narrower.
A number of teams have provided so-called mule cars – heavily modified versions of their current-specification machines, designed to simulate the aerodynamic forces expected under the new rules – to aid Pirelli’s development of its new tyres.
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As reported by PlanetF1.com earlier this month, Ferrari trialled a moveable, DRS-style mechanism on the front wing of its mule car during a recent Pirelli tyre test in Hungary to replicate the effect of next year’s active aerodynamics.
And it has emerged that Leclerc and Hamilton will both take to the track at Mugello on Friday as Pirelli’s preparations for F1 2026 reach a crucial stage.
A report by Italian publication Auto Racer has claimed that the pair will alternate behind the wheel of the Ferrari SF-25 mule car as Pirelli makes its ‘final assessments’ of the hardest compounds of the F1 2026 tyre range.
Ferrari is also holding a TPC [Testing of Previous Car] run today (Thursday) with Zhou Guanyu and Leclerc’s brother, Arthur Leclerc, behind the wheel of the team’s 2023 car.
Regular reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi is unavailable for Thursday’s TPC outing due to his Ferrari commitments in the World Endurance Championship with the 6 Hours of Fuji race being held in Japan this weekend.
More on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from PlanetF1.com
As reported by PlanetF1.com, Ferrari will not be the only team on track at Mugello on Friday with customer outfit Haas also on site.
Haas announced on Thursday morning that former F1 driver Romain Grosjean is to be treated to a special TPC outing with the Frenchman set to drive the team’s 2023 car, the VF-23.
It will mark Grosjean’s first taste of F1 machinery since his grand prix career ended abruptly with a frightening accident in Bahrain in 2020, in which his car was engulfed in flames.
Grosjean miraculously escaped the incident with only burns to his hands.
In a statement issued to PlanetF1.com, Haas confirmed that Grosjean will be joined at Mugello by members of his former crew at Haas, including team boss Ayao Komatsu, who will make a one-off return to race engineering duties.
Komatsu, who was appointed Haas team principal in early 2024 following the departure of Guenther Steiner, is known to have a close relationship with Grosjean having followed the driver from Lotus to Haas at the beginning of 2016.
The test appearance will also see Grosjean wear a helmet design produced by his children, which he originally intended to wear for what was expected to be his final F1 appearance at the 2020 season finale in Abu Dhabi before his accident intervened.
Grosjean said: “I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to participate in the TPC at Mugello.
“To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement.
“I really can’t believe it’s been almost five years, but to come back and have this outing with my old team is truly something special.
“I’m excited to see everyone, I’m sure we’ll spend a bit of time reminiscing about the old days, but I’m also keen to be of use regarding the trackside agenda with the VF-23 – it’s great the team now has the TPC program as part of its on-going development.
“Finally, my kids had designed my helmet for what was meant to be my final grand prix in Abu Dhabi back in 2020 – I’m at last going to be able to give it a go in a Formula 1 car on Friday.”
Komatsu added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years but especially proud he’s returning in one of our cars – it’s only fitting.
“Romain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.
“I’m delighted he embraced the opportunity to come and get back behind the wheel with us, a day that’s going to be made extra special by having so many members of the original crew back together to witness it.
“It should be a fun day and knowing Romain as I do, I know he’ll want to give it his all as usual – I’d expect nothing less, not least as we’ve talked about making this happen for a long time now.”
Read next: 28 seconds in hell: The story behind Romain Grosjean’s 2020 Bahrain GP crash
