Hamilton says Mercedes crash a ‘hiccup’ as F1 testing begins

Lewis Hamilton described his latest test shunt as nothing more than “a hiccup” on the day he ushered in Formula One’s new turbo era with an unwanted bang.

Hamilton and the new Mercedes W05 were the first to take to the circuit at Jerez on the opening day of the first pre-season test, which proved to be a nightmare for all on show.

A front-wing failure saw Hamilton hammer nose first into a barrier at the end of the start-finish straight. The exact cause of the incident is under investigation.