A crucial weekend for Formula 1 and Ferrari
Formula 1 is preparing for one of the most important and revealing events of the season. The Spanish Grand Prix has long been regarded as one of the best indicators of a car’s true performance level, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offering one of the most complete tests on the calendar.
The track features a combination of high-, medium- and low-speed corners, as well as a long main straight. In particular, the final sector and the opening part of the lap will place significant demands on power units and energy recovery systems.
The current generation of 2026 cars already made their debut at this circuit during pre-season testing, albeit in very different weather conditions. As a result, Barcelona provides teams with an excellent opportunity to compare current performance against data gathered at the start of the year, when the cars were still in a much earlier stage of development.
Ferrari arrives in Spain encouraged by the progress shown by the SF-26 following the upgrades introduced in Miami and two positive race weekends in Canada and Monaco. While those results have not yet been enough to genuinely challenge Mercedes, they have confirmed that the Scuderia is moving in the right direction.
There is also growing confidence surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation to the team, while Charles Leclerc heads into the weekend hoping to finally resolve the brake-related issues that have affected him in recent races.
“We arrive in Barcelona after two weekends in which we have shown encouraging signs in terms of competitiveness,” Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur explained ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix – “In Monaco and Canada we achieved good results, but we know that there is still a lot of work to do and that we must continue to focus on ourselves. As always, our goal will be to maximize the car’s potential and continue to make progress.”
To support that objective, Loic Serra’s technical team will introduce Ferrari’s second major upgrade package of the season in Spain, headlined by a significantly revised front wing along with several other developments.
Beganovic gets his opportunity
The Barcelona weekend will also be an important one for the Ferrari Driver Academy.
During Friday’s opening practice session, Dino Beganovic will take over Lewis Hamilton’s SF-26 as part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie driver programme, which requires teams to field drivers with fewer than two Grand Prix starts on four occasions during the season.
The Swedish driver previously participated in FP1 sessions in Bahrain and Austria last year. On those occasions, Ferrari had also introduced important upgrades, trusting Beganovic to carry out the first track evaluations after spending extensive time testing the developments in the simulator.
His experience at Maranello and familiarity with the team’s development programme are expected to provide valuable support for Ferrari’s engineers. Nevertheless, this will be his first on-track outing with the SF-26: “My expectations for the weekend are a mix of technical objectives and emotions,” Beganovic explained. “Taking part in an official Formula 1 session is always special, even more so when you are driving a Ferrari.
“Putting on the red suit, getting back in the car and working with the engineers and mechanics is something unique. I have great memories from last year’s FP1 sessions and I want to use that experience to take another step forward.”
The challenge of adapting to the SF-26
Beganovic knows that one of his main tasks will be quickly adapting to a car that is significantly different from previous Formula 1 machinery.
“The SF-26 is completely new because of the regulation changes and everything that comes with them,” he said. “The priority will be to build confidence as quickly as possible. I want to do the work the team asks of me, provide useful feedback and adapt to the car. If I can achieve that, it will be a positive session for everyone.”
Barcelona presents a unique challenge from a technical perspective as well: “It’s a very complete circuit, which is why everyone knows it so well,” explained the Ferrari Academy driver. “There are slow, medium- and high-speed corners, so every aspect of the car is tested. Compared to the winter tests, we will find much higher temperatures and that could make tyre degradation one of the key factors of the weekend.”
A circuit drivers love
Among the most spectacular sections of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the final sector, which returned to its original fast-flowing configuration following the removal of the final chicane.
“With a modern Formula 1 car, it’s an incredibly exciting part of the circuit,” Beganovic said. “You can really feel the speed and the lateral forces there. It’s one of the most enjoyable sections of the entire lap.”
Balancing Ferrari duties with a Formula 2 title challenge
Alongside his Ferrari commitments, Beganovic continues to enjoy a strong Formula 2 campaign that has placed him among the championship contenders. A podium finish in the Monaco Feature Race has revitalised his title ambitions and provided an important confidence boost heading into the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
“The season started well,” he explained. “In terms of pure performance, we have always been competitive and in every Feature Race we have fought for a podium.
“Some technical issues affected us during two events, but that confirms that from both a speed and execution perspective we are doing a very good job. The points we scored in Monaco were extremely important and have put us firmly back into the championship fight.”
Before returning his focus to Formula 2, however, Beganovic has another important objective.
“The focus will be on delivering a strong Formula 2 weekend, but above all on making the most of this opportunity with Scuderia Ferrari on Friday morning.”
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