Lewis Hamilton rounds off ‘positive week’ for Ferrari in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton completed what he described as a ‘positive week’ of pre-season testing for Scuderia Ferrari in Bahrain.

Following hot on the heels of what was a largely disappointing 2025 season, much focus is again on the famous Scuderia Ferrari team and its marquee drivers as always.

With sweeping rules and regulations introduced for 2026 intended to further level the playing field and spice up proceedings, it could work in some teams’ favour.

“It’s been a positive week overall,” commented Hamilton on his team’s press release. “We completed a lot of laps and went through the full programme, which allowed us to gather plenty of useful data and learn more about the car.

“The SF-26 has felt generally good, but this generation of car is quite complex and finding the right operating window, especially with the tyres, is key. We’ve made some good discoveries and also identified areas where we can improve.

“We still have another test ahead of us, which will be important to build on what we’ve learned and continue making progress.”

DAY THREE CLASSIFICATION 🚨

Kimi Antonelli leads a Mercedes 1-2 on the third day of Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain 👊#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/TTiDl3YMrF

— Formula 1 (@F1) February 13, 2026

For Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal, the three days of data gathering including systems checks and evaluating the new aero package has proved fruitful.

“Going into the season, the target was to make the most of the first test sessions by accumulating mileage and collecting as much data as possible,” added Vasseur.

“So far, everything has gone well from an operational point of view, with good reliability and plenty of laps completed, which is important both for our preparation and to analyse the data back in the factory.

“We will use this information to continue improving the car and our understanding of all procedures.

“Performance is a separate matter: the priority at this stage is to build knowledge and put ourselves in the best possible position ahead of Melbourne, knowing that we still have time to make further steps forward.”

Testing resumes in Bahrain from February 18-20.