Ferrari are privately ‘concerned’ by what they’ve noticed in Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona test data

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Lewis Hamilton finished the first pre-season test under F1’s 2026 regulations with the fastest lap, but Ferrari’s data from the Barcelona shakedown was not wholly positive.

The Scuderia stole the spotlight under the fading sun in Spain last week, as Hamilton hit the top of the overall timesheets with a 1:16.348. Ferrari also recorded the second-most laps by any team at the Barcelona shakedown test, as Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed 440.

Only Mercedes completed more laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya than Ferrari with 502, as the Silver Arrows strengthened their preliminary status as the favourite for the 2026 F1 drivers’ championship. Mercedes’ engine has long been tipped to be the best power unit.

Power units are expected to be the biggest performance differentiator this year, as F1’s 2026 regulations have been heavily based on the new engines. F1 engines now have a near 50/50 electrical and combustion power split, use sustainable fuels and no longer carry the MGU-H.

Ferrari have not won the F1 drivers’ title since 2007. Will 2026 end their droughts?

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Ferrari are ‘concerned’ by their energy management after checking their Barcelona shakedown test data

Ferrari believe the Barcelona shakedown proved the reliability of their 2026 F1 rules engine, which had been a cause for concern ahead of the opening test under the new regulations. A degree of doubt lingers, though, so Ferrari will use the same engine for the first Bahrain test.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations

Formula 1 heads to Sakhir for the first official pre-season test of the 2026 regulations era on February 11-13, and also on February 18-20. And Ferrari now plan on using the Bahrain test to trial new ideas to eliminate fresh fears about their energy management with their engine.

That is according to Formula1.it, which reports that ‘sources’ close to Ferrari say the pride of Italy are ‘concerned’ by the energy management data that Hamilton and Leclerc recorded at the Barcelona shakedown. Their engineers are now looking for any potential improvements.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been in Ferrari’s simulator since the Barcelona shakedown

Barcelona shakedown complete ✅ Which team has surprised you the most? 👇

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Hamilton and Leclerc have been back in Ferrari’s simulator since the Barcelona shakedown to try and help them understand why their energy management, which was already a huge cause for concern given the new engines, was worse than the team had initially predicted.

The increased electrical power from the prior 20/80 share favouring the internal combustion engine was always expected to be the ‘Achilles heel’ of the 2026 F1 regulations. But Ferrari’s data in Barcelona was less convincing than expected, so they hope to see progress in Sakhir.

Energy management was not the only cause for concern to emerge in Montmelo, either. It is said that rival F1 teams think the handling of Hamilton’s 2026 Ferrari is a problem after they watched the Briton (in particular through Turn 10) and Leclerc pushing in the SF-26 on track.