Lewis Hamilton shared his first verdict about the 2026 F1 regulations cars as the Briton was in positive spirits after topping the timesheets at the Barcelona Preseason Test. Hamilton said that he enjoyed driving this new car more than the previous generation cars as they seem to be snappier.
Lewis Hamilton found it difficult to get used to the ground effect era cars that came into being from the 2022 season onwards. It also did not help that Mercedes was unable to produce a car competitive enough to fight at the front of the field while Hamilton was at the team from 2022 to 2024. Same was the case when he arrived at Ferrari in 2025.
One of the biggest issues many drivers faced with the previous generation cars was that they became extremely heavy and understeered as they neared the end of their development cycles by 2025. Hence, Hamilton, and numerous other drivers, admitted that they were looking forward to the end of the ground effect era.
Now, the drivers on the grid had their first opportunity to test out the 2026 regulations era cars at the private preseason test that was held at Barcelona from Monday to Friday, and Lewis Hamilton has shared his verdict. His feelings seemed to reflect that the veteran was already much happier with the new car.
“The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive. It’s oversteer-y and snapping and sliding, but it’s easier to catch and I would definitely say more enjoyable,” Hamilton said [via The Race].
Lewis Hamilton and those at Ferrari had many reasons to be happy after the five days of testing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. Thanks to his quick runs at the end of the final day, Hamilton set the quickest time of the whole weekend with a 1:16.348.
On the durability front, Ferrari also completed the second most laps over the five days, second only to Mercedes. This was perhaps the more pleasing fact as the teams were seemingly focused more on durability than pace during the first preseason test.
The Ferrari power unit, that is also in the back of Haas and Cadillac cars, also completed close to 1000 laps over the five days. This was also only second to the Mercedes engine.
Now, the next preseason test will take place at Bahrain from Feb. 11-13 and give fans an even truer glimpse of what each outfit could bring much closer to the season. A third and final test will then conclude pre-season testing in Bahrain from Feb. 18-20.
Lewis Hamilton Happy After “Productive” Barcelona Preseason Test with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton shared his delight at his and Ferrari’s performance at the 2026 F1 Preseason Test in Barcelona, especially with regard to their durability. The seven-time world champion explained that he enjoyed a “productive and enjoyable” week after months of work of the SF-26 over the winter.
Reflecting on the whole week of testing in Spain, Hamilton said that it was good for him to see the hard work of those at the Italian team come to fruition on track.
“It’s been a really productive and enjoyable week. There has been a huge amount of work over the winter, both personally and from everyone in the team, and it’s good to see that reflected in the mileage we’ve been able to complete without major issues,” Hamilton said [via RacingNews365].
Hamilton then said that it was also a valuable experience to be able to drive in wet conditions on Day 2 of the test, before adding:
“There’s still a lot to learn and plenty of work to do, but the atmosphere in the team is positive and focused.”
