LEWIS HAMILTON did not get off to the best start for the 2024 Formula One season after his car ran over a loose drain.
Hamilton, 39, announced this season would be his last with Mercedes after an 11-year spell with the team before he makes a sensational switch to Ferrari in 2025.
AlamyLewis Hamilton got behind the wheel of his Mercedes F1 car for the first time this season[/caption]
Sky SportsBut Hamilton’s car appeared to sustain damage when it ran over a loose drain cover[/caption]
RexThe loose drain saw stewards wave off the morning session[/caption]
The seven-time world champion said he was committed to “delivering the best performance” he can to the team.
And the first on-track step towards that end came in Bahrain as F1 kickstarted it’s pre-season testing.
Hamilton was on track for the first time after skipping out on Wednesday’s testing sessions.
However, after only a few hours of testing the session was forced to come to a stop when the stewards noticed damage to a kerb on the circuit.
This damage came as Hamilton’s future Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc dislodged a drain cover on the entry of turn 11.
Hamilton was the next racer to come along and ran over the drain cover, which saw it fly into the air.
Mercedes mechanics checked the underside of Hamilton’s W15 for damage following the collision.
Stewards promptly halted the morning session to assess the damage to the circuit before announcing it would not resume around 30 minutes later.
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The morning session saw Hamilton put up a best lap time of 1:33.225 with 39 laps completed.
The afternoon session will run until 4pm.
Following the Wednesday test topped by Max Verstappen, Mercedes driver George Russell revealed the Mercedes car felt “nicer to drive” compared to last season.
He said: “It was great to drive the W15 for the first time in anger today. From hitting the ground, it felt like we had a good foundation to start from.
“We completed lots of laps and have plenty of data to go through tonight. We ended the day in a reasonably good spot, and we can build from here over the next two days.
“We will be focused on maximising mileage for learning rather than chasing an optimum sweet spot with the car…
“We know that it’s not about the feeling, but the speed. Nevertheless, today was about learning and not about chasing performance.
“We’re focused on ourselves at this test, and it will only be next week where we see where we stack up against the others.
“It was a positive first day and I’m looking forward to being back in the car on Friday.”
Comparing directly to their 2023 machinery, Russell added: “Overall, the W15 does feel nicer to drive than last year’s car.”
The F1 season will get underway fully with the first race in Bahrain on March 2.
Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year
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