Lewis Hamilton completed his first significant laps in the Ferrari SF-26 on Tuesday during the 2026 F1 Barcelona shakedown, marking a critical milestone for both the seven-time world champion and the Scuderia as they adjust to the new technical regulations. Hamilton was one of only four drivers to hit the track on the second day, following Charles Leclerc’s morning debut in the SF-26.
While the lap times remain unofficial, it is widely reported that Lewis Hamilton’s best effort in wet conditions was a 1:32.872. Beyond times, the key takeaway was the Briton’s consistency and reliability, completing 57 laps with only a minor excursion into the gravel, bringing Ferrari’s total laps for the day to a substantial 123. These early kilometers are crucial as the team gathers data on aerodynamics, chassis balance, and tire behaviour under the new 2026 regulations.
Karun Chandhok questions Ferrari’s approach to Hamilton’s race engineer
Despite a smooth first day of running, Sky Sports pundit Karun Chandhok expressed concern over Ferrari’s decision to have Lewis Hamilton temporarily paired with Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, after the reassignment of Hamilton’s 2025 engineer Riccardo Adami. Chandhok suggested this setup could hinder Hamilton’s ability to build a strong working relationship with his new race engineer before the season begins.
According to Chandhok, Ferrari may need to compensate by providing Hamilton with additional private simulator sessions or running older machinery to allow the British driver to integrate fully with the team’s engineering framework ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain. He emphasised that the driver-engineer relationship is pivotal to translating technical feedback into on-track performance, and delaying this bonding period could put Hamilton at a disadvantage.
Chandhok noted that while public communications between driver and engineer are often visible, they represent only a small part of the in-depth discussions and strategy planning that occur within the garage. He found it concerning that, after a challenging 2025 campaign, Ferrari had not prioritised early integration for Hamilton over the winter.
Ferrari are reportedly planning to officially sign Cedric Grosjean, formerly one of Oscar Piastri’s engineers at McLaren, to partner with the British driver. However, Grosjean’s arrival may be delayed until the end of his post-McLaren gardening leave, leaving Hamilton in a transitional phase during these early tests.
Comparing Hamilton’s 2026 Ferrari performance to Red Bull
When comparing lap times, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar set a 1:31.891 in similar wet conditions on Tuesday afternoon, almost a second faster than Hamilton. However, it is important to note that fuel loads, test programs, and session priorities may have varied between the teams. Hadjar also suffered a crash at the final corner later in the day, while Hamilton’s SF-26 remained stable throughout his stint.
On the dry running side, Charles Leclerc’s 1:20.844 was approximately 1.3 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s benchmark time of 1:19.578, again highlighting that test programs and setups can heavily influence lap times. Currently, the fastest lap of the Barcelona shakedown remains Hadjar’s 1:18.159 from the first dry session, setting an early performance reference point for all teams.
Overall, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari appear to be prioritising reliability and data collection over outright pace at this stage, while Karun Chandhok’s observations underline the critical importance of finalising the driver-engineer pairing and fully integrating Hamilton into Ferrari’s 2026 operational workflow.
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