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Ferrari seriously impressed Ruth Buscombe with the “stunning” rear diffuser on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s car during the second 2026 Bahrain pre-season test.
The Scuderia’s updated diffuser design stole the show in the Sakhir desert on Wednesday, as Leclerc and Hamilton took turns at the wheel of the SF-26. Leclerc drove in the morning and set the third-fastest lap time, before Hamilton set the seventh-best lap in the afternoon.
Ferrari’s head of aerodynamics Diego Dondi and his team have been hard at work designing new parts for Leclerc and Hamilton to test in Bahrain, with a lot of focus on the rear of their car. The Maranello outfit see the rear diffuser area as having great potential to unlock pace.
One of the more striking new parts on the SF-26 in Bahrain is the addition of a vertical flap behind the exhaust that almost mimics the monkey seat from yesteryear. Ferrari’s exhaust flap needed special approval from the FIA, but their new rear diffuser also caught the eye.
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Ferrari’s new diffuser at the 2026 Bahrain test can help Lewis Hamilton under braking
Ferrari have integrated a central flap into their rear diffuser in addition to the extensions on either side in an attempt to divert the hot exhaust gases upwards. The Scuderia believe the new element can manage the air flow and further improve the efficiency of their rear wing.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations
Former Ferrari F1 strategist Buscombe believes the Scuderia’s new rear diffuser is a “clever concept”, given how it will control the outwash effect at the rear of the car. Buscombe also thinks Ferrari have designed their new diffuser to help particularly Hamilton under braking.
Buscombe said on the F1 world feed (19/02, 06:55): “[Lewis] said it was great. He was saying he was enjoying the car. Fred Vasseur, [the Ferrari] team principal, very rarely smiles, but we saw him smiling this morning.
“He said in the press conference that the correlation was good, which is a really, really important thing. And they have that stunning diffuser. The diffuser of the day. [A] really clever concept where they actually have a connected outwash right at the back.
“I think that is going to try and address some of the issues that Lewis, particularly, had with the era of the downforce cars. [Alex] Albon said that these [2026] regulations are looking a little Hamilton-y, in terms of how he likes his braking. So, let’s see. It could be their year.”
Lewis Hamilton struggled under braking throughout the ground-effect era from 2022-25
Alex Albon has had his say, but which driver do you think is best suited to the 2026 regulations?
Hamilton struggled throughout F1’s ground-effect era from 2022 to 2025, as he could never adjust his driving style to suit the way that the cars required very early braking to avoid any stability problems. But the 2026 F1 regulations are more akin to the rules cycle up to 2021.
Formula 1 has overhauled the aero and chassis regulations, as well as the engine rules, this year, which is why Ferrari have been able to add a flap in front of their exhaust. But Ferrari had to design the entirety of the rear of the SF-26 for it so their car complies with the rules.
The Scuderia designed their gearbox so that the differential sits as far back in their 2026 car as possible, so that the exhaust flap is within the 60mm limit behind the rear axle in the F1 regulations. The flap coupled with the new diffuser elements will help to stall the rear wing.
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