Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton sees the light again: his optimism in Barcelona

Ferrari on track in Barcelona, and Lewis Hamilton seems finally satisfied. After a nightmarish 2025 for him, the seven-time world champion is eagerly awaited in a season that must necessarily represent a much-needed redemption for him, and the first laps behind the wheel of the SF-26 seem a good viaticum. After the doubts that accompanied the Cavallino’s new car, even before its presentation, Tuesday’s Montmeló seems to have cleared the first clouds. Although the weather at the Catalan circuit was mostly rainy.

Marco Enzo Venturini

Hamilton in particular was only able to test his Ferrari on wet tires, alternating between intermediates and full wets. His 57 laps on the track, however, presented no jolts. In fact, this represents mission accomplished, since the day’s program was composed by the sole need to verify the SF-26’s reliability, as well as the proper functioning of the new systems that the new Formula 1 regulations impose. And the revolution from 2025 seems at the moment to please the British driver.

“As a first day on the track was intense, but productive – Hamilton said at the end of the day -Despite the variable weather conditions, we managed to cover a lot of miles with the Ferrari. We collected a lot of data that was very useful to the team, which is of great importance since we are facing such a significant rule change. On the track we did not encounter any particular problems. This allows us to set the work of the coming days already with a solid base, starting from here we can continue to learn a lot”.

In the morning he had also had a chance to take to the track Charles Leclerc, with the opportunity to try the SF-26 also on the dry for a few minutes. “Getting back in the car was good – said Ferrari’s Monegasque -, even more so in a car that is very different from the ones we have driven so far. For the moment it is just a matter of trying to see if everything is working properly, and indeed it is”.

“We did a preliminary check of the car and it went well, little by little we will go through all the systems until we get to what matters most, which is performance. But I think we will do that a little bit’later in these three days” Leclerc added. Formula 1 testing in Barcelona will end on Friday, Jan. 30, then two more sessions in Bahrain will follow: the first from Feb. 11 to 13, the second from Feb. 18 to 20.