Lewis Hamilton Optimistic at Ferrari 2026 Shakedown

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Lewis Hamilton completed his first on-track running with Scuderia Ferrari during the 2026 Formula 1 shakedown at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday, marking an early step into the new FIA regulatory era.

Ferrari split its initial running between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, with Leclerc completing the morning programme before Hamilton took over in the afternoon. Persistent rain left Hamilton confined to wet-track conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, limiting dry performance assessment but allowing valuable baseline data collection.

The wet conditions shifted Ferrari’s priorities toward tyre behaviour analysis with Pirelli compounds and initial validation of the new aerodynamic and mechanical package. Under the revised technical framework of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2026, early understanding of energy deployment and platform stability remains critical, even in non-representative conditions.

“It was very challenging. It started raining around 10:30, so obviously Charles had some dry running,” Hamilton said.

“The whole afternoon was wet, so working out how to get the tyres in the window was really productive.”

“We completed around 120 laps. Considering the wet conditions and a red flag, that’s pretty solid.”

Hamilton highlighted Ferrari’s operational reliability, an area under scrutiny following a difficult 2025 campaign. The absence of significant technical issues during the shakedown was viewed internally as an encouraging sign during the earliest phase of the 2026 car’s development cycle.

“I’m really proud of everyone back at the factory for getting the car to this point. We gathered a lot of information today,” Hamilton added.

“There’s a lot still to do, but it was a good first day.”

For Ferrari and Hamilton, the shakedown represents an initial benchmark ahead of official pre-season testing. With team principal Frédéric Vasseur overseeing the transition into the new ruleset, maintaining reliability while accelerating development will be decisive in determining whether Ferrari can re-establish itself as a front-running contender heading into the opening rounds of the 2026 season.