Lewis Hamilton’s day of testing a 2023 Ferrari car at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona took an unexpected turn when he was involved in a minor crash.

Despite the incident, a senior Ferrari source confirmed that Hamilton was "absolutely fine" and was unharmed.

However, the Ferrari car required recovery and repairs, meaning Hamilton did not continue with any further driving on the day.

Charles Leclerc, who was scheduled to take over the car from Hamilton, was also unable to complete any running in the afternoon session.

Ferrari had planned for their reserve and development drivers to take over for the remainder of the test, but it remains uncertain whether Hamilton or Leclerc will take on those duties for the next day of testing.

Hamilton is expected to have another opportunity to test Ferrari's more recent equipment next week, as the team prepares for a Pirelli tire test in Barcelona.

Earlier in the week, Hamilton took on his first test drive with the Ferrari franchise.

While this incident is being viewed as a minor setback, a senior Ferrari source explained that such occurrences are normal during preseason testing, especially for drivers like Hamilton, who are familiarising themselves with new equipment.

Hamilton's crash is reminiscent of a similar incident during his first preseason test with Mercedes, a partnership that ultimately led to a highly successful Formula 1 career.

Ferrari will look to continue their testing schedule, with no long-term consequences expected for Hamilton or the team.