Lewis Hamilton still lacks the ‘right feeling’ with Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car at the Bahrain test

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Ivan Capelli believes Lewis Hamilton still lacks the “right feeling” with the front-end of the Ferrari SF-26 after watching the seven-time F1 champion at the 2026 Bahrain test.

Ferrari have often caught the eye for positive reasons during the second week of pre-season testing in Sakhir with their upgrades. Rival F1 aero designers think Ferrari’s new exhaust flap offers a net gain by sacrificing rear wing efficiency for the performance of their rear diffuser.

Many eyes were also drawn to Hamilton on Thursday morning when Ferrari revealed a rear wing that can flip 180° when in the new straight mode. Ferrari only fitted their radical new rear wing on Hamilton’s car for five laps, and it remains to be seen whether it will be raced.

Lewis Hamilton lacks ‘smoothness’ driving the Ferrari SF-26 at the 2026 F1 Bahrain test

But while Ferrari’s updates have impressed, Capelli believes Hamilton is still trying to find an improved “feeling” with the front-end of the SF-26 after watching him over F1’s two tests in Bahrain. Capelli has especially seen Hamilton struggle amid his attempted high-speed runs.

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

Capelli told Sky Sports Italy: “It is certainly an opportunity that he wants to seize, this radical change in regulations that makes him put his bitter memories of the ground-effect cars in a drawer and start a season where he wants to get back to being competitive.

“We haven’t seen how competitive everyone is yet. I saw him on the track last week, and I still think he hasn’t found the right feeling at the front to get into, at least in the fast practice sessions where I was, the smoothness of driving. He has to find that transition.”

Capelli is not alone in believing that Hamilton is still trying to find the right feelings with the Ferrari SF-26 across the Bahrain tests. Jolyon Palmer feels Charles Leclerc “looks happier” than Hamilton in Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car after comparing their efforts while on track this week.

Charles Leclerc is happier than Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari’s 2026 F1 regulations car

It is even said that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is frustrated with Hamilton, as he has been urging the Scuderia to adapt their car to better suit his driving style since his first runs in the SF-26 at the shakedown in Barcelona. Leclerc was instantly able to adapt to the car.

Hamilton is said to have particularly found braking to be an issue in Ferrari’s 2026 car, as he either tries to brake too late or cannot tell when to brake and get back on the throttle. His issues are largely similar to the problems that frustrated him during F1’s ground-effect era.

Ruth Buscombe believes Ferrari are trying to help Hamilton with their “clever” rear diffuser upgrade in Bahrain, too. Their addition of a small plate that blankets off half of the exhaust has the potential to improve how the SF-26 acts and bring it more towards Hamilton’s style.