Lewis Hamilton thought Mercedes F1 testing plan was 'crazy'
Lewis Hamilton has hailed the reliability of his new Mercedes as "incredible" after initially believing the team's high-mileage targets for the first Formula 1 pre-season test were "crazy"

Hamilton completed 99 laps on his final run of this week's test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya before handing over to team-mate Nico Rosberg for the afternoon session.
Over his three stints - effectively two full days - in the F1 W07 Hybrid, the reigning champion amassed a total of 343 laps, or 1,596km.
That was the target set by Mercedes for both its drivers ahead of the four days, which Hamilton did not feel was possible beforehand.
"It's been a tough week, we've done a lot of mileage, said Hamilton.
"It's been the best week of testing we've ever had.
"Before we came here the team talked about doing 800 kilometres per day, and I was thinking they were crazy.
"I've never done that in the past, and usually the car breaks down.
"But I've never had a test like this where the car just goes on and on and on.
"It's been a physical challenge doing all the laps, but it's just been incredible.
"I've never seen anything like it, just the strength of this car overall."
Hamilton also feels proud at the fact the team has not rested on its laurels over the winter after clinching back-to-back world titles.
"To think we've won two world championships, and going into our third year you would think it's so easy for us to lose focus," added Hamilton.
"But everyone is more focused than ever before and they have done an even better job in terms of developing the whole package than they ever have before.
"I hope we keep going from strength to strength."
To date, Mercedes has yet to use any of three different soft-tyre compounds, so the car's true performance has yet to be revealed.
Hamilton, though, does not feel that will be in question as he said: "We don't know the pace of the car yet.
"What we can say is it's going to go the distance, and that's half the battle, but I don't think it's slow."
For now, a new front wing tested on Friday appears to be paying dividends.
"The front wing is an improvement, which is good," he said.
"It's what we hope for, small increments, and that's what it's brought."

Kimi Raikkonen fastest for Ferrari as final day of F1 testing starts
Silverstone sale to Jaguar Land Rover 'well down the road'

Latest news
Farfus says BMW could have reliability edge over LMDh rivals
Augusto Farfus has dismissed concerns about BMW's apparent lack of pace in the build-up to the Daytona 24 Hours, and feels it could have an edge when it comes reliability.
How Formula E's new emergency braking system will work
Formula E has introduced an emergency braking kit for the Diriyah E-Prix as a failsafe should the rear powertrain stop working over the course of a race weekend.
Friday favourite: The Kent happy hunting ground that demands drivers' respect
Martin Donnelly's 100% International Formula 3000 record at Brands Hatch is one reason for him picking the famous Grand Prix circuit as his favourite track. But the Ulsterman also relishes its fast and challenging corners, which rewards thinking drivers just as much as bravery
Ford: F1’s boom means it "requires consideration"
Ford’s motorsport boss says it would be remiss of the American car giant not to be considering a Formula 1 return amid the series' rapid growth in the United States.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.