Barcelona – Lewis Hamilton‘s transition to Ferrari is off to a promising start, as the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion posted the fastest time during the final day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The encouraging performance marks a key milestone for the Scuderia as they debut their SF-26 challenger, and comes amid meaningful off-season development aimed at challenging Red Bull’s dominance [[1]]. The Barcelona test, completed without major mechanical issues, sets the stage for further refinement ahead of the season-opening Bahrain grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets on the final day of Formula 1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, signaling a promising start to the season for Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion clocked a fastest lap of 1m 16.348, completing a remarkable 204 laps over the three-day test session. This performance comes after a productive winter break for the Scuderia, focused on developing the SF-26 package.
Hamilton first took to the track on Tuesday afternoon in wet conditions, describing the experience as “valuable,” particularly with a new car. He returned to the cockpit on Thursday and again for the final afternoon session, steadily improving his pace.
“It’s been a really productive and enjoyable week,” Hamilton said. “There has been a huge amount of work over the winter, both personally and from everyone in the team, and it’s good to see that reflected in the mileage we’ve been able to complete without major issues.”
The strong showing in Barcelona provides a significant boost for Ferrari as they prepare for the next phase of pre-season testing in Bahrain next month. The team avoided any significant setbacks during the Spanish test, a crucial factor in early development.
“Driving in wet conditions early on was actually a valuable experience, especially with a new car, and overall it’s been a solid start,” Hamilton added. “There’s still a lot to learn and plenty of work to do, but the atmosphere in the team is positive and focused.”
Looking ahead, Hamilton emphasized the importance of data analysis. “Now we’ll take everything we’ve learned, continue analysing the data and prepare carefully for the Bahrain test.”
