Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton continued their pre-season testing work in Bahrain, with the British driver taking to the track in the SF-26 during the morning session to advance the team’s testing program. Here is a recap of the morning on-track results and insights.
Today marks the final day of the first pre-season testing session in Bahrain, with Lewis Hamilton scheduled to drive the SF-26 throughout the day. Ferrari’s objective is to complete the full pre-determined program, which has proceeded smoothly so far without any technical issues. Let’s look at what Ferrari achieved during the last morning of this test session.
Key signals from Ferrari on the second day of testing
During the second day of testing, Ferrari sent out important signals. First and foremost is the reliability of the car and the new power unit, which have impressed from Barcelona to Bahrain. Charles Leclerc also completed an initial race simulation, which produced promising impressions. Of course, it is still early to make full evaluations, but the starting point for the Scuderia is very solid.
69 laps for Hamilton and Ferrari in the Bahrain morning
The first runs of the session were dedicated to aerodynamic testing, including the use of flow-viz and rake measurements. Ferrari focused almost exclusively on soft tires, continuing the process of understanding this compound. Lewis Hamilton also completed a short race-pace simulation with a medium-low fuel load and attempted some quick laps. These times are not fully indicative of performance, as it is still early in testing. The British driver finished the morning session in second place with a best lap of 1:34.209, about three-tenths behind George Russell’s Mercedes.
According to some paddock sources, the SF-26 appeared more stable than on the first day. Shortly before the end of the session, several short-run simulations were completed. The positive factor of the morning continues to be reliability, as Ferrari did not encounter any issues. Cadillac experienced a stoppage in the early hours, but the problem does not seem to be related to the Ferrari power unit.
Work will continue in the afternoon, with Lewis Hamilton completing his full day in the SF-26. For live updates and detailed coverage of the session, follow this link: Bahrain F1 Day 3 live updates.
The final day of testing in Bahrain reinforces the idea that Ferrari has prioritized a bulletproof mechanical platform above all else for the 2026 era. With Lewis Hamilton growing increasingly comfortable in the SF-26 and the technical team ticking every box on their checklist, the Scuderia looks poised to enter the new season with a high degree of confidence in their baseline package.
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