The first half of Day 1 of the second pre-season test session for the 2026 Formula 1 season concluded in Bahrain, with Ferrari taking to the track in the morning with Lewis Hamilton. Here is a summary of the work completed and the challenges faced by the seven-time world champion.
After the shakedown in Barcelona, the Formula 1 paddock moved to Bahrain for the first of the two pre-season 2026 test sessions, scheduled from February 11 to 13 and then from February 18 to 20. The first half of Day 1 is now complete, with Lewis Hamilton encountering some issues during the morning session that may already highlight certain limitations of the new Ferrari SF-26.
For the opening day in Bahrain, Ferrari chose to alternate their drivers at the wheel of the SF-26. Lewis Hamilton ran the team’s pre-planned test program during the morning session, while Charles Leclerc is scheduled to take over from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Let’s take a closer look at what happened in the morning session and the challenges that Lewis Hamilton faced.
Hamilton spins: rear-end issues?
During the morning session of Day 1 in Bahrain, Lewis Hamilton completed a total of 52 laps. Ferrari did not report any reliability issues, with the British driver finishing fourth overall and recording a best lap of 1:36.433—exactly one second slower than the fastest time set by Max Verstappen in the Red Bull.
The Maranello team focused heavily on the softest tire compound, the red tire, aiming to better understand the SF-26’s behavior on this specific compound. Early in the session, Lewis Hamilton spun twice, raising questions about whether Ferrari is already facing rear-end handling challenges.
According to initial technical impressions, without onboard footage it is still impossible to confirm the exact cause. However, from the throttle response and driver input, it appears that the Ferrari SF-26 experiences some movement at the rear, which may have made it slightly difficult for Lewis Hamilton to manage the car during those spins. At this stage, it is not clear whether the issue is aerodynamic, mechanical traction-related, or a combination of both.
In theory, these new cars are designed to work more effectively through the front end, which should be particularly favorable for drivers like Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Observers will need onboard footage and additional data to understand more about the behavior of the SF-26 on track. For now, it is still too early to definitively identify any rear-end issues, especially considering these are entirely new cars and teams are still gathering baseline data on their performance and handling.
Looking ahead to the afternoon session and beyond
The next key focus will be on Charles Leclerc’s session in the afternoon. Ferrari will continue collecting crucial data on the SF-26, testing various setups, tire compounds, and performance parameters to optimize the car before the remainder of the pre-season testing. The situation is evolving continuously as teams increasingly understand how to maximize the potential of these brand-new cars.
For fans who want to follow every detail of Ferrari’s track activity, keeping this link handy will provide ongoing updates on the SF-26’s performance and testing progress throughout the Bahrain sessions.
As the sun sets over the Sakhir desert and the teams pore over the morning’s telemetry, the focus remains on how quickly Ferrari can settle the SF-26’s balance. Lewis Hamilton’s early spins show that tamming the 2026 technical regulations will be a challenge for even the most experienced champions on the grid.
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