Ferrari cause Lewis Hamilton ‘headaches’ with one of their Barcelona Grand Prix upgrades

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Ferrari reportedly caused ‘headaches’ for Lewis Hamilton with one of their upgrades for the Barcelona Grand Prix. 

Last weekend, Hamilton produced another fine performance as he managed to finish second at the Monaco Grand Prix, behind Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli.

The P2 finish in Monaco meant Hamilton secured back-to-back podium finishes as a Ferrari driver for the first time.

As a result, Hamilton was expected to continue the momentum at this weekend’s race in Barcelona.

Despite Ferrari bringing as many as eight upgrades, Hamilton endured a tough FP2 session, finishing ninth, while Charles Leclerc was fourth.

Ferrari cause Lewis Hamilton ‘headaches’ with Barcelona Grand Prix upgrade

According to Italian news outlet AutoMoto, Ferrari’s front wing upgrade may not have worked as intended, which caused ‘headaches’ for Hamilton during FP2.

It has been suggested that Ferrari tweaked the wing actuator, but the issue may not be attributable to this component. 

Meanwhile, RacingNews365 stated that Ferrari have ‘committed to a philosophy of constant, aggressive innovation’ in 2026. 

The report claimed that Ferrari have revised the floor of the SF-26, with changes aimed at ‘tightening control over the airflow passing beneath the car’.

In addition, the sidepod undercut has also been modified in order to maintain ‘the boundary layer attached to the bodywork along its full length’, which is ‘critical’ in generating downforce across the car.

What would Lewis Hamilton beating Charles Leclerc at 41 do for his F1 legacy?

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Lewis Hamilton admits he had ‘zero feel’ during FP2 in Barcelona

After handing over his SF-26 to rookie Dino Beganovic for FP1, Hamilton was back in his car for FP2.

Following a disappointing session, Hamilton admitted that he had ‘zero feel’ and stated that Ferrari are ‘obviously not quick’.

He said, via F1’s official website: “I have zero feel of it, so I have no idea where… We’re obviously not quick…

“Charles has obviously had two sessions, and I think he’s four-tenths or something off the McLarens and the Mercedes, so clearly we’re quite a chunk off still, but hopefully tomorrow we can try and close the gap a bit.”

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Hamilton said that Friday was ‘complicated’ and he is at a ‘disadvantage’ after missing FP1.

Hamilton said: “It was quite challenging. There was a problem with the front wing that made things a little more complicated, especially with regard to the preparation of the tyres, and having skipped the first session made me start a little at a disadvantage.

“There is still work to be done, but we have collected useful data, and tonight we will focus on the interventions to be carried out to improve in view of tomorrow.”