Mercedes made a Lewis Hamilton-related blunder at F1 testing (Image: Getty/Express Sport)
were forced to correct an error on the first day of Formula One testing after forgetting to remove a reference to from their car.
The 40-year-old departed in emotional scenes back in December, having won six Drivers’ World Championship titles in his 12-year stint with the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton opted to join rivals and the Briton will take to the track for the first time in a competitive capacity in the Scuderia red overalls on Thursday. Over at , and 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli are driving for the eight-time Constructors’ Championship winners in 2025.
Despite going nearly three months without Hamilton in their team, were guilty of using the wrong number on their car parts when unpacking their travel units in Bahrain.
Images from the Sakhir International Circuit show a staff member peeling off his renowned ’44’ number off their generator in the team garage. But after racing together for more than a decade, the German manufacturer’s design team could be forgiven for printing the wrong number on their first trip to the racetrack.
While some may interpret the minor faux pas as an indicator that they are missing the seven-time world champion, there is perhaps a more simple explanation for the mix-up.
In an attempt to prevent logistical issues, teams keep certain ‘kit’ packages reserved for races on different continents.
— Kemal Şengül (@KemalSengulll)
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For example, they may use certain parts for race events in the Middle East – Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Qatar – with different components kept for race weekends in Brazil, Mexico and the United States. The same would likely apply for the European leg of the 2025 calendar.
As it has been the first time since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season that these parts would’ve been used, it’s possible that they went untouched over the winter period and were only opened on the first day of testing.
That would explain why Hamilton’s iconic ’44’ digits were still present on the parts. However, that will no longer be the case after the team corrected the inaccuracy.
Kimi Antonelli went fastest in the morning session for Mercedes on the first day of F1 testing (Image: Getty)
‘ new starlet Antonelli made an immediate impression, topping the timing sheet on the first day of testing.
The young Italian clocked up 78 laps and posted a fastest time of 1:31.428 in the morning session, with the afternoon plagued by light rain and a power failure at the circuit.