Lewis Hamilton ‘struggling’ with new Ferrari issue after spin on day one of 2026 Bahrain testing

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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton hasn’t had the easiest start to testing ahead as action gets underway on day one of running in Bahrain.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will share driving duties on the first day of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

After a successful shakedown in Barcelona, Ferrari are hoping to fine-tune their aerodynamic set-up and their new power unit ahead of the first race in Australia.

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Team principal Fred Vasseur will be desperate to put the disappointment of last season behind him.

Nigel Mansell has made a positive prediction about Hamilton’s chances in 2026 as he seeks his first podium finish while racing for the Scuderia.

However, there were a few hiccups for the seven-time world champion during the first few hours of testing in Bahrain, although they weren’t exclusively suffered by Hamilton.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Lewis Hamilton ‘struggling with braking’ as hot weather impacts 2026 Bahrain testing

Journalist Kemal Sengul is at the track in Bahrain and keeping a very close eye on what’s going on among the 18 drivers who will take to the track on day one among all 11 teams.

He said on X just after the first hour of running had finished: “Hamilton experienced a lock-up and went off the track. Drivers are struggling with braking due to the extremely hot weather.”

The official commentary from Formula 1 stated: “The yellow flags fly briefly for Hamilton, who has had a half-spin. He lost the rear on entry, turning the car round and sliding into the run-off area backwards. Bar some small flat spots, there is no harm done there – he was well away from the barriers, which is one of the reasons this makes such a good testing venue.”

ESPN’s live blog shared that the spin took place going into turn one, a tight right-hand hairpin that leads into a small left-hand kink.

“Lewis Hamilton ends up pointing the wrong direction at Turn 1,” journalist Laurence Edmondson explained.

“He just lost the rear on turning into the corner and spun 180 degrees. No damage [was] done to the car, and he continued on his way.

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“A few of the cars have looked a little unstable, and he’s certainly not the first driver to end up beyond track limits.

“As I type, George Russell locks up and runs wide at Turn 10. A replay shows Sainz doing exactly the same thing moments later.”

Later in the morning session, Edmondson spotted another error from the seven-time world champion at turn 10.

“It’s a notoriously tricky corner in Bahrain due to the combination of heavy braking and the need to get the car turned in,” Edmondson wrote.

“It looks even tougher in this generation of cars as they work hard to recharge the battery and keep revs high mid corner to avoid turbo lag on the exit.

“Hamilton is pictured here letting Lindblad past, but on the following lap, he ran wide and into the runoff. Lots of drivers seem to be having that issue, and as I type, Hamilton hits the apex on his next effort.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

What Lewis Hamilton was doing behind the scenes with Ferrari before the first day of Bahrain testing

Ferrari are preparing ‘wildcard’ updates for their 2026 car with the hope of becoming more competitive, but also knowing that this risks Hamilton and Leclerc experiencing a few backwards steps before finding the ideal set-up.

The times all the drivers are setting are meaningless at this stage, with fuel loads and engine modes unknown.

However, after attending the Super Bowl in California on Sunday, Hamilton was already hard at work in Bahrain on Tuesday.

Sengul reported on Tuesday evening on X before testing, stating that: “Hamilton spoke at length with the engineers. After that, he returned to the garage,” in the Bahrain paddock.

Hamilton’s also been working hard in the simulator despite not being the biggest fan of spending hours working on the car virtually.

Although Hamilton had a couple of offs during his first run in Bahrain, it’s a necessary evil to work out how hard he can push the car under the new regulations.