Ferrari admit Bahrain test issues: have the SF-26 problems already been fixed?. Ferrari admit to facing several issues during Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Ferrari have spoken openly about what happened during Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, admitting that the team encountered several issues over the three days of running. The key question now is whether the Scuderia from Maranello has already resolved those problems ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Through the words of sporting director Diego Ioverno, the Prancing Horse outlined the difficulties experienced in Bahrain. Has Ferrari already fixed these setbacks, or is work still ongoing to ensure everything is fully optimised for Melbourne? Here is the full assessment from the Italian team.

The Maranello squad successfully completed its planned programme, although — like several rivals — it did not escape minor complications. On Day 2, Lewis Hamilton was forced to remain in the garage for the entire morning session, with mechanics working extensively on the car to resolve technical issues. Fortunately, none of the problems were related to the power unit.

On the final day, Charles Leclerc completed 133 laps without interruption, underlining solid overall reliability. The morning race pace simulation suggested Ferrari is competitive at least in terms of tyre management and lap-time consistency. However, everything remains relative at this stage, as the true performance level of rival teams is still unknown.

In the afternoon, the Monegasque driver increased the pace and carried out qualifying simulations. During those flying laps, some weaknesses emerged — particularly regarding rear-end stability — raising further questions about the balance of the SF-26.

Ioverno: “We are bringing home an enormous amount of data”

“We have completed three very demanding sessions between Barcelona and Bahrain. With nine days of on-track activity, we exceeded 6,000 kilometres driven, which was one of our main objectives. We are bringing home an enormous amount of data to analyse and we have improved our understanding of the car.

We faced some issues that we are already managing and that we need to resolve in order to be fully ready for Melbourne. Only from Melbourne onwards will we truly begin to understand our level compared to our competitors. It will take time to have a clear picture and, more than anything else, this year we will see a very steep development curve for everyone. It will be a long season in which we will continue to push without ever giving up.”

In short, Ferrari have shown boldness with original technical innovations designed to place the SF-26 among the leading cars on the grid. Many observers currently point to Mercedes as the early favourite, while McLaren also appears firmly in contention. And of course, Red Bull can never be ruled out, especially with Max Verstappen capable of producing something special.

The most important — and perhaps only — clear certainty to emerge so far is that the new Maranello car appears fundamentally sound, with no structural defects or correlation issues between simulator data and on-track performance. The true competitive order, however, will only become clear in Australia.

Team principal Frédéric Vasseur has already made the objective clear: Ferrari heads to Melbourne aiming to win. Whether the issues encountered in Bahrain have been fully resolved will be revealed when the lights go out for the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season.