Lewis Hamilton clocked the quickest time of the Barcelona shakedown test, but there are growing concerns within the paddock about Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car. The Maranello team drew plenty of attention as pre-season testing wrapped up on Friday.
Lewis Hamilton clocked the quickest time of the Barcelona shakedown test, but there are growing concerns within the paddock about Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car.
The Maranello team drew plenty of attention as pre-season testing wrapped up on Friday. Hamilton, running on soft Pirellis, posted a 1:16.348 to just edge out George Russell’s 1:16.445 for Mercedes.
Lap times don’t hold much weight during early testing, especially under new regulations, with most teams focused more on reliability than outright speed. Still, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc managed solid mileage in the SF-26, second only to Mercedes in total laps.
Mercedes and Ferrari were also the only two teams to log more than 100 laps on each of the three days at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Their totals hit 504 and 438 laps respectively across the event, while Haas put up the highest single-day total with an impressive 191 laps.
Ferrari’s concern about their car ahead of first race
Despite those strong numbers from both Ferrari drivers there was a lot of chatter around one part of the car – their drag.
The SF-26 features a unique design element with its rear suspension mount located behind the beam wing slot gap. This setup appears intended to use airflow through that gap to boost load generation behind it.
However, concerns have been raised within Ferrari that this could be contributing to higher drag levels than expected. If that proves true when racing begins next month in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, it may impact their competitiveness in straight-line speed compared to rivals like Red Bull and Mercedes – who have different concepts for this key area under the new ruleset focused on fuel efficiency.
Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car has been hit with a number of handling concerns from rival teams
The push-rod suspension is back for the SF-26, and the team also had to make adjustments to the new aero and chassis rules. All of this adds up to a bit more time needed before everything comes together.
Craig Slater has said that there are numerous rival teams who feel the biggest concern about the SF-26 is its handling after seeing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during testing in Barcelona. Ferrari still has plenty of time in their development plan, and Bahrain will give a much clearer picture.
“A lot of people are saying the Ferrari looks quite a handful,” Slater told Sky Sports. “Actually, several individuals from different teams have said that to me, and maybe that’s the downside to that car right now.”
Ferrari yet to unveil final 2026 F1 car specification
Ferrari showed up in Barcelona with a basic version of their 2026 car, choosing to focus on data gathering rather than fine-tuning their setup at this early stage. It wouldn’t be surprising if they waited until the first race to roll out the final specification.
The 2026 season brings some of the most significant changes F1 has ever seen, covering everything from engines and aerodynamics to chassis and tyres. Ferrari used the shakedown to validate winter simulation data, and we’ll likely get a clearer view of their progress in Bahrain.
Even so, there’s already talk among other teams that Ferrari may be using an S-Duct after being spotted in Barcelona. The FIA is also interested in taking a closer look at their aggressive new aero package on the SF-26.
Handling concerns have started to emerge as well. Hamilton struggled through Turn 10 more than once, spinning out, going off track several times and dealing with persistent oversteer throughout his runs.
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Category: General Sports
