Ferrari launch data from the Spanish GP highlights Lewis Hamilton’s standout getaway

Lewis Hamilton delivered one of the fastest starts of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, giving Ferrari an encouraging data point from a race that otherwise offered little satisfaction. The Ferrari driver needed just 2.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h and 4.5 seconds to hit 200 km/h, matching Oscar Piastri for the quickest overall launch to 200 km/h.

For Ferrari, that matters because it shifts attention to an area that can easily be overlooked when the final outcome disappoints. Hamilton’s figures suggest the SF-26 was highly competitive off the line in race conditions, while Charles Leclerc also produced a strong getaway of his own on hard tyres. Even without overstating the significance of a single phase of the race, the numbers offer a useful snapshot of where Ferrari looked sharp in Madrid.

Lewis Hamilton’s start was as good as anyone’s in Madrid

The Briton’s opening acceleration was among the clearest positives for Ferrari. His 2.4-second run from 0 to 100 km/h was joint-best, and his full 0-200 km/h time of 4.5 seconds also put him at the front of the field. Only Oscar Piastri matched that total, which makes the McLaren driver’s number especially notable because it came on hard tyres rather than softs.

The bigger Ferrari point, however, is Hamilton. A launch like that usually gives a driver the platform to attack or defend immediately, and it underlined that Ferrari was capable of producing a highly effective start sequence. It did not rescue Hamilton’s overall afternoon, but it does show that the Scuderia’s race-start performance deserves attention rather than being lost in the wider disappointment of the result.

Charles Leclerc also gave Ferrari solid launch pace

Charles Leclerc was not quite at Hamilton’s level, but his numbers were still firmly competitive. The Monegasque driver reached 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and 200 km/h in 4.7 seconds, again on hard tyres. That left him only two tenths away from the very best total in the field.

Seen together, Hamilton and Leclerc’s figures suggest Ferrari’s launch performance was broadly strong across both cars. Hamilton set the benchmark for the team, while Leclerc remained close enough to confirm that Ferrari’s start-line performance was not a one-off. In a race where margins at the start can shape the first laps, that is one area the Maranello team can treat as a relative strength.

How Ferrari compared with the rest of the field

Behind Hamilton and Piastri, Franco Colapinto also posted a 4.5-second time to 200 km/h, although his 0-100 km/h phase was slightly slower at 2.5 seconds. Carlos Sainz followed at 4.6 seconds, while Alexander Albon, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Leclerc were all grouped at 4.7 seconds.

Lando Norris, Liam Lawson and George Russell each recorded 4.8 seconds, with Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad all on 4.9 seconds. Valtteri Bottas then came in at 5.0 seconds.

At the other end of the scale, Aston Martin and Audi stood out for the wrong reasons. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both needed 5.3 seconds to reach 200 km/h, and Audi’s pair were no better overall: Nico Hulkenberg also posted 5.3 seconds, while Gabriel Bortoleto was slowest of all at 5.5 seconds and took 3.0 seconds just to reach 100 km/h. On the available data, those two teams have the clearest area to improve off the line.

Spanish GP acceleration times

The complete 0-100 km/h and 0-200 km/h times are listed below:

For Ferrari, the main conclusion is straightforward. Hamilton and Leclerc may not have left Madrid with the race outcome they wanted, but the start itself was one of the more convincing elements of the Scuderia’s afternoon. In a season shaped by tiny details, that is still a detail worth noting.