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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton appeared to go through more of an evolution during 2026 pre-season testing than many of his rivals.
Lewis Hamilton will want to quickly put last season behind him, and a brand new set of regulations could be the perfect way to do that.
The early signs suggest that Ferrari have taken a step forward from 2025, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time in Bahrain on the final day.
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Hamilton initially looked to be struggling with the SF-26 on day one in Bahrain, but by the end of the test, he and Ferrari had far more confidence in their current package.
Lando Norris has predicted Hamilton will be ‘back at the top’ this year, and despite being a seven-time world champion and one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1 history, he used pre-season testing as the perfect opportunity to test some new methods before competitive action begins in Australia next week.
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Lewis Hamilton ‘visibly experimenting’ with the 2026 Ferrari through corners during Bahrain testing
Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm was examining for The Race how Hamilton’s testing program unfolded and explained: “Early on in the Bahrain test, he looks significantly less comfortable than Charles Leclerc. However, that improved dramatically as the six days of running progressed.
“While it’s impossible to evaluate conclusively where he stands compared to Leclerc, Hamilton is certainly happier with the 2026 cars than he was with the previous generation of stiff ground-effect ones.
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“On top of that, he described himself as more connected to this Ferrari, given the role he played in developing it, meaning a bit of his DNA is in the car.
“The improved responsiveness on turn-in and the wider mechanical setup windows mean there are promising signs that Hamilton will be able to get the car in a better window for him on corner entry.
“He was visibly experimenting with that in testing and refined that approach as the Ferrari improved. With Ferrari in decent shape heading into the season, even if it appears to be a small step behind Mercedes, Hamilton should have a more competitive car than in 2025.”
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Ferrari taking Lewis Hamilton’s feedback onboard after tricky maiden F1 campaign
One of the most obvious issues within Ferrari last season was the connection between the drivers and the rest of the team.
Leclerc couldn’t hide his frustration at times, particularly when the car’s limitations effectively stopped him from winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he eventually ended up missing out on the podium entirely.
Hamilton delivered notes to Ferrari about where they could improve, but there was little evidence that his feedback was being taken on board.
This season, that already appears to have changed. Testing feedback helped Hamilton close the gap to Leclerc, but it’s still impossible to know how competitive the SF-26 is compared to the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull.
Hamilton is still waiting to discover who his permanent race engineer will be heading into this season, which, given how complicated the battery recharge and deployment is going to be, does put him on the back foot.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has removed the ‘culture of fear’ from Ferrari, but now the team need to deliver on the track and return to winning ways to avoid missing yet another opportunity to end their long wait for a championship.
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