Lewis Hamilton got his first laps in Ferrari’s new car for the 2026 F1 regulations era on Friday, as the Briton began his bid to bounce back from the worst season of his career.
The 41-year-old moved to Maranello ahead of the 2025 season, as he realised his childhood dream of being a Ferrari F1 driver. But Hamilton finished last term admitting that his first 12 months in red were a “nightmare”, as he failed to get a podium in a season for the first time.
Ferrari also went winless during the 2025 campaign, as Charles Leclerc and Hamilton ranked fifth and sixth in the F1 drivers’ championship with 242 and 156 points. Hamilton’s total was his worst return under the scoring system that Formula 1 has used since the 2010 campaign.
Team boss Fred Vasseur stopped developing Ferrari’s 2025 car in April to prioritise their new car for 2026 F1 regulations, which played a direct role in Leclerc and Hamilton’s woe. F1 has overhauled the rulebook with new engine, chassis, aero and tyre rules all coming into force.
Lewis Hamilton preparing for tough adjustment under new 2026 F1 engine rules
Formula 1’s 2026 regulations have completely reshaped the power units, moving to a near-even split between electrical and combustion power, with sustainable fuels now standard and the expensive MGU-H removed from the design. Ferrari is one of five engine suppliers in play this season.
Hamilton has warned that managing the new energy store will be a “massive challenge” for drivers in 2026, noting that it will take “a lot of work” for his still-unnamed race engineer to get up to speed and provide the right support.
“As drivers, we adapt. That’s what we do,” Hamilton said, via quotes carried by the official F1 website. “It’s going to be a massive challenge this year, for sure, for every driver, to adapt particularly to the power unit.”
“Whilst it’s still the V6, recharging this battery, the de-rates that you have, and really trying to understand how to utilise the power per straight, and recover the most and be the most efficient.
“This is also where you have to learn how to use every tool you have – saving fuel while still recharging efficiently and making sure you’re getting everything out of both tyres and grip.”
Hamilton added: “I think it’s going to take a lot of work from engineers too – they’ll need clear communication so drivers can actually extract everything these new cars are capable of.”
Why getting Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer right is crucial for Ferrari
Ferrari have already announced that Riccardo Adami won’t continue as Hamilton’s race engineer, though they haven’t named his replacement yet. For now, Bryan Bozzi, who usually works with Leclerc, will step in for the upcoming Barcelona shakedown test.
Given the importance of managing the energy store under the new regulations, the relationship between driver and engineer will be even more critical this season. Hamilton needs someone he can work closely with, especially after his struggles to connect with Adami last year.
There are other changes on Hamilton’s plate too. Ferrari have made some big shifts in their approach to the 2026 car design, moving from pull-rod to push-rod suspension after ride height issues plagued them throughout 2025. They’ve also adopted a much more aggressive anti-dive angle this time around.
During Friday’s shakedown of the SF-26 at Fiorano, Hamilton had his first run with Ferrari’s active aero system. The 2026 rules introduce active front and rear wings, which drivers will use in specific zones to help address concerns about running out of energy during races.
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