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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a positive shakedown of the SF-26 at Fiorano on Friday, as Ferrari unveiled their first car built for the 2026 F1 regulations.
The Scuderia unveiled their new challenger on Friday morning, before Hamilton took the SF-26 for its first run. Hamilton enjoyed three laps of the Ferrari test circuit, before Leclerc took over for the final two laps permitted within the 15km limit that F1 allows for a shakedown.
Hamilton sparked concern when the 41-year-old parked up just before he had completed his first full lap of Fiorano in the SF-26. But it was all a part of Ferrari’s run plan, with the Briton initially sent out with Pirelli’s demonstration wet weather tyres on a planned installation lap.
Ferrari have gone all-in on the 2026 F1 regulations, as the Scuderia bid to win the F1 drivers’ championship for the first time since Kimi Raikkonen’s title in 2007. Team boss Fred Vasseur stopped developing Ferrari’s 2025 car in April last year to prioritise the 2026 F1 regulations.
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Ferrari have an ‘extremely aggressive’ anti-dive angle on Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 F1 car
Hamilton and Leclerc’s shakedown at Fiorano also confirmed that Ferrari have moved from pull-rod to push-rod suspension with their 2026 F1 car. Technical director Loic Serra led the decision to abandon the pull-rod set-up that Ferrari used as they went winless during 2025.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine and aero regulations
And Corriere della Sera notes that Ferrari have overseen a ‘technical revolution’ in the hope of reducing aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption in 2026. The Scuderia have also been ‘extremely aggressive’ with the anti-dive angle created by the upper suspension wishbone.
Ferrari’s anti-dive angle is far more pronounced than what Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi and Mercedes showed with their initial launch designs. In contrast, Gary Anderson believes Racing Bulls have “a lot less” anti-dive on their 2026 car compared to their package in 2025.
Ferrari have gone the opposite way to Racing Bulls with their anti-dive angle
Anderson suspects that Racing Bulls opted to reduce the amount of anti-dive with their first car built under the 2026 F1 regulations to pair with the increased ride height needed to run a higher rake angle. Yet Ferrari have gone the opposite way in their search for performance.
A year since this iconic shot ⏳ Be honest — one word for Hamilton’s Ferrari era so far? 👀
F1 cars will have more extreme rake angles in 2026 than seen during the ground-effect era from 2022 to 2025, which placed the importance on the venturi channels in the floor. Now, teams will return to running with higher rake angles to increase the underfloor downforce.
The 2026 F1 regulations also yield new engine, tyre and aerodynamic rules, in addition to making cars smaller and lighter. Engines now have a near 50/50 split between electrical and combustion power, run on sustainable fuels and no longer feature the expensive MGU-H.
Hamilton wasted no time before testing Ferrari’s active aero during his first run in the SF-26. F1 has incorporated moveable front and rear wings that drivers can activate in set zones on each track to help allay fears that the new engine regulations will see cars run out of energy.
The version of the Ferrari SF-26 that Hamilton and Leclerc drove at Fiorano is not expected to be the version that they will race in 2026. Ferrari will not use a race-ready 2026 rules car during pre-season testing, as they will prioritise gathering data to guide their development.
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