Lewis Hamilton leads Ferrari’s wet tyre development in Pirelli Fiorano test. Lewis Hamilton takes center stage in Ferrari’s Pirelli wet tyre tests at Fiorano.

The real headline is not that Ferrari is running at Fiorano for Pirelli testing duties, but rather that Lewis Hamilton has been entrusted with the first of the two scheduled test days. Considering that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has often been reluctant to take part in tyre development work, seeing him behind the wheel of the SF-26 for a wet session represents a highly positive and encouraging sign for the Scuderia.

The British driver is now fully involved in the development of the Ferrari project, and this is perhaps the clearest indication yet of how strongly the Maranello team believes in its chances of chasing down Mercedes in the fight for the world championship.

Pirelli testing new full wet tyre design

Pirelli has scheduled two full days of testing at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit, which is artificially watered using a dedicated irrigation system designed to maintain a consistent level of grip throughout the session. The Italian tyre supplier has brought a revised Full Wet tyre construction as part of the planned test programme — a specification that has not yet been seen on track so far.

However, technicians from Pirelli’s Bicocca headquarters have clarified that this is not the long-discussed single wet tyre concept (often referred to as the “Super Intermediate”), which remains part of future development plans but is not yet ready to enter the testing phase.

Charles Leclerc set to continue Ferrari’s programme

Charles Leclerc will take over driving duties on Friday, continuing Ferrari’s work programme across the two-day test. This represents a valuable opportunity for the team to better understand how the SF-26 behaves in wet conditions, especially considering that the only previous running in the rain came during the Barcelona shakedown. At that time, the new-generation cars were still in their infancy, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions.

During this extended break in the Formula 1 calendar, Ferrari has a crucial chance to maximize every opportunity to get track time and gather important data that could prove decisive in closing the performance gap to its rivals.