Lewis Hamilton is doing something at the Ferrari factory not seen since the Michael Schumacher days

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Lewis Hamilton had the honour of driving Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car for the first time on Friday. Hamilton completed a brief shakedown at the team’s very own Fiorano circuit.

Ferrari tried to keep their launch low-key, revealing their livery in a short video posted on social media. But as ever, thousands of fans flocked to Fiorano for a first glimpse of the car.

Under the rules, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were limited to 15km each in their demonstration run. Barring any reliability issues, they will complete their first significant laps at the Barcelona shakedown next week.

Are we looking at the car that will win Ferrari their first drivers’ championship since 2007?

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Hamilton looked visibly refreshed after a much-needed break. His miserable 2025 season ended with three consecutive Q1 exits as he went a whole year without a podium for the first time.

Lewis Hamilton has been staying over at Ferrari’s F1 factory

F1TV journalist Lawrence Barretto was granted access to the Ferrari garage for Friday’s short outing.

He revealed that the seven-time world champion has been staying on site at the Maranello factory in his motorhome for the past week. Hamilton has been having meetings with team staff in preparation for the new season.

Ferrari recently confirmed that Hamilton would have a new race engineer for 2026 after a difficult year alongside Riccardo Adami. The identity of his permanent replacement hasn’t yet been revealed.

Hamilton also stayed at Maranello last year, but by doing so again this winter, he has dispelled any external doubts over his focus and motivation.

Michael Schumacher used to stay in Enzo Ferrari’s house in Maranello, which allowed him to maximise his testing time at Fiorano in an era with no restrictions.

What did Michael Schumacher achieve in his second season at Ferrari?

After winning three races and finishing third in the championship during his first year with Ferrari, Schumacher fought for the title in year two.

His battle with Williams driver Jacques Villeneuve went all the way to the season finale in Jerez. However, Schumacher was disqualified from the championship after the stewards ruled out that he deliberately collided with Villeneuve during the race.

After that controversial near-miss, Schumacher finished runner-up to Mika Hakkinen in 1998. He had to wait until 2000, his fifth year at Ferrari, to win the title, though that instigated a historic run of five in a row.

Having just turned 41, Hamilton doesn’t have that kind of time. His Ferrari contract runs until the end of next year, although there may be release clauses in play before that point.