Hamilton coy on major Ferrari upgrade package after 'tough' Barcelona running

The Briton handed his car over to Dino Beganovic for the opening practice session before returning to action in FP2. However, Hamilton could manage only ninth place, finishing 1.2 seconds adrift of pace-setter Norris and nearly a second slower than teammate Leclerc, who ended the day fourth fastest.

Summing up his Friday in Barcelona, Hamilton pointed to the challenging conditions encountered throughout FP2, highlighting the combination of hot temperatures, high tyre pressures and exceptionally low grip levels: "We only had one session, so very, very hot, obviously. Very tough on, we got very high pressures. Probably the lowest grip that we've had here in, I would say, any year that I've been here. And actually, the tyres only last one lap, so I basically had two laps."

Asked for his verdict on the numerous upgrades Ferrari introduced for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton admitted it was difficult to draw any firm conclusions after Friday's running. Having completed only one practice session, the Briton explained that tyre degradation limited his ability to properly evaluate the package, leaving him with too little representative running to accurately judge the effectiveness of the new components.

Ferrari has brought a major development package to Barcelona as it looks to gain ground in the championship battle. The Spanish Grand Prix has long been considered one of the most demanding tests on the calendar from an aerodynamic perspective, making it the ideal venue for the Scuderia to introduce a comprehensive set of updates across multiple areas of the SF-26.

The changes are spread across the front wing, floor and sidepod regions, with the team targeting improved aerodynamic efficiency and a broader operating window. Up front, Ferrari has revised several elements of the wing assembly and nose structure in an effort to refine airflow management and front-end performance. Further modifications have been made around the floor, where engineers have redesigned key components underneath the car, including sections around the leading edge and diffuser.

The floor package is understood to represent the most significant part of the update, with Ferrari hoping the revised geometry will generate a more stable aerodynamic platform and unlock additional downforce.