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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton eyes key Ferrari F1 breakthrough after testing in Mugello

Lewis Hamilton is testing a new rear suspension on this year’s Ferrari F1 car in Mugello today.

Hamilton, as well as teammate Charles Leclerc, will drive the SF-25 car around the Italian circuit on Thursday, in addition to a session on Wednesday, as both drivers eye a breakthrough in car performance at the halfway stage of the 2025 season.

Both will take to the cockpit on Thursday, with a total of 200km of running allowed as per F1’s rules as part of a ‘filming day’.

Ferrari hope that the new suspension, alongside a new floor upgrade at round 11 in Austria, will extract more performance from a car which is yet to win a race this year.

The Scuderia believe the new suspension will help the car be less sensitive to various ride heights, opening up more set-up options for qualifying and the race.

The added benefit of this week’s testing session comes ahead of next week’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, which is also a sprint event, meaning there will be just one practice session.

Hamilton is yet to finish on the podium in a grand prix, with three best-place finishes of fourth, including at his home race last time out in Silverstone.

Leclerc, meanwhile, has finished on the podium four times but is yet to taste victory. Neither driver has recorded a pole position, either. The three teams to have won race so far this season are McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes.

Hamilton, in his first season at Ferrari since his move from Mercedes, is currently sixth in the drivers’ standings, a whopping 131 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc is one spot, and 16 points, ahead of Hamilton in fifth.

Both Hamilton (five times) and Leclerc (once) have won at Spa-Francorchamps, the longest track on the 24-race calendar.

Hamilton won last year’s race after George Russell, who won the race on-track, was disqualified post-race.

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