Lewis Hamilton has lauded Ferrari's performance during the recent Formula 1 Barcelona 'shakedown', describing his experience as 'amazing'. Despite encountering challenging wet weather conditions earlier in the testing phase, Hamilton was able to complete a significant number of laps, indicating promising reliability for the SF-26. This early success provides an optimistic outlook for the team as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 season, particularly given the extensive technical changes implemented this year.
The world championship is currently undergoing its initial pre-season trials, conducted behind closed doors, to adapt to the significant technical overhaul for 2026. Teams are granted three days for testing between January 26th and 30th. Ferrari opted for a schedule that included Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for their test sessions. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton participated on Tuesday; however, rainfall curtailed their track time during the morning. Consequently, Thursday marked Hamilton's first opportunity to extensively test the SF-26 on a dry surface. Prior to this, the vehicle had only completed a brief 15km shakedown at Fiorano before being transported to Barcelona.
According to unofficial data from SoyMotor, the seven-time world champion successfully completed 87 laps. Hamilton found this reassuring, especially considering the prior "miserable wet weather" that had previously impeded the team's testing efforts. When queried by F1 regarding Ferrari's current standing against their expectations, Hamilton responded with cautious optimism: "I don't know, I think we're probably... Of course, we hoped that we could come and have... When you come to the test, you always want to get a lot of mileage, like today I did 85 laps in the morning, which is amazing. And that's really down to all the people at the factory who've done such a great job to make sure the car so far is really reliable."
He further elaborated on the morning's running, stating, "It was great to be able to get some running and understand the tyres. We did the C2 and the C1, so cold that the tyres are not really working so much, but got through our programme, and a bit of an understanding of where the car is at and where we need to improve." Leclerc subsequently took over the SF-26 for the afternoon session, with Hamilton observing from the pitwall. Both drivers are anticipated to return to the track on Friday for a comprehensive testing schedule. Hamilton detailed their ongoing objectives: "For us it's, still continue to try and get as much mileage and knowledge on this engine and on the car and the aero side. So there'll be lots. We went through a program this morning, found some learnings. Charles is doing a different set this afternoon, which is great."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the testing phase, Hamilton emphasized the importance of teamwork and data analysis. He explained, "My role is to, like, listen as much as possible. At the end of the day, we both come together and we both talk about our problems and the positives and the negatives. Then we'll come up with a plan of like what we want to tackle tomorrow as our last day. But already, we've got good data so far. So it's just understanding that and making sure you're making really clear and concise decisions in terms of what to test moving forwards before we get to Bahrain." This collaborative approach underscores Ferrari's commitment to maximizing their testing opportunities and refining the SF-26 before the official start of the 2026 F1 season.
The extensive mileage achieved by Lewis Hamilton on a dry track marks a significant milestone for Ferrari's pre-season preparations, particularly after early weather disruptions. This positive outcome, coupled with the team's collaborative approach to data analysis and decision-making, suggests a strong foundation for addressing the new technical regulations. The focus remains on accumulating further knowledge and fine-tuning the SF-26 to ensure optimal performance when the season officially commences in Bahrain.