Lewis Hamilton return to Formula One track cut short

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/4306272/Lewis-Hamilton-return-to-Formula-One-track-cut-short.html

Lewis Hamilton's first morning back in a Formula One car since becoming world drivers' champion ended abruptly when his shiny new MP4-24 ground to a halt at the Algarve Motor Park in southern Portugal.

By Tom Cary in Portimao

Last Updated: 2:23PM GMT 21 Jan 2009


As yet there is no indication of exactly what the problem is, although the car suffered an engine systems shutdown of some description and was taken back to the pits on the back of a tow truck. Hamilton is expected to be back on the circuit this afternoon.

A McLaren spokesman said: "We run our engines during testing with a greater degree of precaution so it could just be that which has triggered the shutdown."

As is customary for world champions, Hamilton, who recently celebrated his 24th birthday, enjoyed an extended winter break and did not participate in the pre-Christmas tests. But his return to an F1 cockpit for the first time since becoming the youngest world champion in history at Interlagos last Nov did coincide with an improvement in the weather.

After two days of wind, rain and even hail on the Algarve, during which time McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa put the MP4-24 through its initial paces, the sun decided to make a belated appearance.

Hamilton first left the pits shortly after 9am on Wednesday morning – from behind two large screens which are intended to keep out prying eyes – and he completed a number of laps alongside Sebastien Buemi [Toro Rosso], Nico Rosberg [Williams], Timo Glock [Toyota] and Fernando Alonso [Renault] who were also on track in Portimao, before Hamilton's engine cut out at roughly midday.

As they did on the first two days of testing, McLaren decided it would be prudent to run the car with a 2008-spec rear wing to increase downforce on a track that is still drying out.

And the Woking-based team are also waiting to trial their Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a controversial new technology in F1 this season which will store energy in braking which can then be used to give the driver a 'boost' of roughly 80bhp for six seconds per lap.

Slick, unthreaded tyres are also making a return in 2009, after an 11-year hiatus but, again, Hamilton will have to wait to get his first taste of them in an F1 car. If the track continues to dry out, McLaren say they may opt to use them on Wednesday afternoon.

Hamilton has only today to get his bearings in the MP4-24 before handing over to team-mate Heikki Kovalainen on Thursday.