Photos: Ferrari SF-26 F1 car makes its on-track debut at Fiorano. Ferrari’s SF-26 completes its first on-track outing at Fiorano.

F1 | Ferrari: here is the SF-26 on its on-track debut at Fiorano

The SF-26 has already made its on-track debut at Fiorano this morning, taking advantage of the 15 kilometres allocated for the shakedown. A total of five laps were completed before the new Ferrari was sent to Barcelona for next week’s behind-closed-doors shakedown.

The garage at the Fiorano Modenese circuit was opened at 10:26. The chatter of the fans and the background noise of traffic were suddenly cut through by the roar of a hybrid V6 engine. It was the sound of the SF-26.

Ferrari’s new car for the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship made its debut this morning on the team’s home track, under a grey-blue sky, with the humidity typical of this time of year in the Modena plain, and in front of several thousand spectators who gathered along the fences at Fiorano to witness the first kilometres of the new Ferrari.

The first driver to take the SF-26 out on track was Lewis Hamilton, greeted by the roar of the crowd and a circuit still damp due to the Emilia-Romagna weather conditions. The SF-26 ran on Pirelli demo tyres, as required by the sporting regulations for these occasions. At the end of the first lap, as he approached the pit lane, the seven-time world champion stopped the car and the mechanics pushed it back into the garage.

Given the 2.976-metre length of the track set in the Modena countryside, the new Ferrari is allowed to complete a maximum of five laps, which are being shared between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers therefore have the opportunity to get a first taste of the new Ferrari before it is shipped to Barcelona for the three days of behind-closed-doors shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló.

Before taking to the track with the SF-26, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed reconnaissance laps in road cars – a Ferrari Purosangue and a FIAT pick-up – to assess the track conditions. This allowed them to gather early feedback on the level of grip they would later encounter behind the wheel of the single-seater.