Hamilton back in cursed W13 for Pirelli tyre test at Paul Ricard

Hamilton took over from Mercedes teammate George Russell as they continued to test Pirelli’s new dry weather tyres ahead of F1 2023.

The test took place at the Circuit Paul Ricard - the track that has hosted the F1 French Grand Prix in recent years.

Hamilton was back behind the wheel of the W13 - statistically the worst car that he’s driven in his F1 career, failing to register a single victory or pole position in 2022.

The seven-time world champion is hopeful its successor - the W14 - will be more competitive and potentially help him secure a record-breaking eighth title.

For now, it’s a case of preparing for the new season with Hamilton and Mercedes assisting Pirelli with their tyre development.

AlphaTauri will be evaluating Pirelli’s wet weather tyres at Paul Ricard on Friday and Saturday.

Next week, Mercedes will test for Pirelli again, this time it will be at the Spanish circuit of Jerez.

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Aston Martin will also be present at the test.

Mercedes will then launch their 2023 F1 challenger on February 15 ahead of pre-season testing at the end of the month.