Lewis Hamilton’s pre-season testing took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when the seven-time world champion crashed at the Circuit de Catalunya.
This wasn’t exactly the kind of start Hamilton would have hoped for on his third day of testing with Ferrari, especially with his new £50 million per year contract with the Scuderia.
A Familiar Scenario for Hamilton Fans
Despite the crash, some fans on social media are taking a different perspective, pointing out a trend from Hamilton’s past.
Interestingly, Hamilton has had similar incidents in Spain before, and each time, they’ve been followed by title-winning seasons.
Back in 2007, he had a high-speed crash during pre-season testing with McLaren in Valencia, only to go on and win the title in 2008.
A similar situation occurred in 2013, when a brake failure caused another crash with Mercedes at Jerez, but Hamilton bounced back to claim the championship in 2014.
Could This Crash Be a Sign of His Eighth Title?
Given these past occurrences, some fans are hopeful that Hamilton’s crash in Spain this year could be a sign of things to come.
With the 2026 season in mind, many are wondering if this could be the year Hamilton secures a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ World Championship with Ferrari.
Of course, it’s important to remember that championship titles are hardly decided by pre-season incidents, but that hasn’t stopped fans from making their predictions.
On Instagram, where Autosport shared the stat, the comments section was filled with excited fans, some making bold claims about Hamilton’s future.
Fans React to the Crash and Predictions for the Future
One fan wrote, “Spain tracks and Lewis crashing during testing.
We got ourselves an 8-time world champion in 2026!” Others were also quick to weigh in, saying things like, “Nice, Charles is the champion this year and next year Hamilton, I take that!” But not everyone was convinced.
“Nah, 2026 is finally Alonso’s year with that Newey-designed car,” one user said, while another added, “What a reach.
Lewis could be a 9-time champion if he didn’t choke in big moments.”
The Crash and What’s Next for Hamilton
In his latest crash, Hamilton was driving the 2023 Ferrari, the car he’s allowed to test for up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) under the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) regulation.
Unfortunately, the car was left badly damaged after the incident.
Hamilton is scheduled to test again next week in Barcelona before the first official outing with the 2025 Ferrari in Bahrain on February 26.
As of now, Hamilton hasn’t commented publicly on the crash, but fans are eagerly awaiting his next moves and hoping the past patterns of success hold true.
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