Hamilton reveals why Ferrari’s SF-26 feels worlds apart from last year’s car

Speaking to GPblog among other media on the opening day of the final Bahrain test, the Briton said the new 2026 car feels far more suited to him than last year’s, having been able to play a hands-on role by providing feedback and input throughout the car’s development.

“I’ve really felt that this winter has been about rebuilding, refocusing, and really getting my body and mind to a much better place. Obviously, I’ve got a bit of a cold right now, but in general I’ve been making sure I arrive feeling better. Personally, I feel in the best place I’ve been in a long, long time. With rearranging things within my team and working with the car, I think we’ve started off quite well so far.”

Finally, the seven-time world champion spoke about feeling far more connected to this new generation of cars, having inherited an SF-25 last year with which he almost never managed to find any real feeling.

“It’s just an exciting time with this new generation of car as well, because it’s all brand new. We’re all trying to figure it out on the go. Last year, we were locked into a car that I ultimately inherited.”

After a week’s break, the drivers were back on track for the final three days that will bring pre-season testing to a close, before the countdown begins to the season opener in Melbourne.

In the morning, Leclerc was the quickest, with Ferrari once again showing strong power unit reliability, while Piastri has just displaced him to take provisional top spot for the day.