Ferrari’s first proper day of work in Barcelona underlined an early reality of 2026: you can arrive armed with simulator mileage and months of theory, but the new cars still have to be learned the hard way — in whatever conditions you’re given.
Lewis Hamilton’s first extended running in the SF-26 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya came almost entirely on a soaked track, after Charles Leclerc’s morning stint was interrupted by rain midway through. It wasn’t the glamorous, sunlit baseline programme teams prefer for a new-regulation car, but Hamilton was upbeat as Ferrari banked the sort of data that matters at this stage — and, just as importantly, avoided the kind of early-week reliability bruise that can set everyone’s timetable back.
“Very challenging today, obviously, because it started raining at 10.30,” Hamilton said afterwards. “So, Charles had a little bit of dry running, but then it’s been wet all afternoon, so figuring out how to get the tyres working, it was really productive.”
Ferrari and Red Bull were the only teams to run on Tuesday in the behind-closed-doors Barcelona shakedown, with the grim forecast persuading much of the pitlane to keep its powder dry rather than risk an expensive slide into the barriers with brand-new machinery. Red Bull’s day did end with a late crash for Isack Hadjar, a reminder of how quickly these “low-key” sessions can bite. Ferrari, by contrast, got through its plan, with Hamilton estimating around 120 laps completed between him and Leclerc despite a red flag interrupting proceedings.
That lap total is more meaningful than it sounds. In a year of sweeping regulation change, every team knows the first few days can become a fight just to keep the car running — cooling quirks, hydraulic gremlins, software headaches, the sort of small issues that don’t make headlines but devour hours. Hamilton, who has lived through multiple resets in his career, was clearly measuring the day against that yardstick.
“I mean, it could be so much worse, [with] such a big regulation change,” he said. “So to get through the day – there were no major issues, it’s just small little increments that we’re trying to improve on.”
There’s also a subtler benefit to a wet-day baptism: it forces a driver and engineers to confront the car’s behaviour at lower grip, where balance shifts are exaggerated and any oddities in response can be easier to isolate. It’s not the clean aero mapping everyone craves, but it can be a brutally honest way to learn how the platform reacts — and how quickly the new-generation systems can be trusted when the track isn’t cooperating.
Hamilton’s own checklist for the remaining running was telling. It wasn’t wrapped in lap-time talk, but in understanding how to operate the SF-26’s new tools — particularly the active aerodynamics and the updated approach to energy deployment that will define this era as much as any chassis philosophy.
With Ferrari having already shaken the SF-26 down at Fiorano before arriving in Spain, Hamilton is now looking for what drivers always want once the basics are proven: a dry track and the chance to start building a feel that isn’t filtered through standing water.
“Well, [I’m] hoping to experience the car in the dry,” he said. “I think just understanding balance, understanding the new SM (Straightline Mode) that we have, and how to utilise it, how you feel it. I have not driven it in the dry, so don’t really have a feeling for it.”
SM — Straightline Mode — is exactly the kind of detail that will become second nature by mid-season, but in January it’s still a concept that has to be translated into instinct. The same goes for deployment, which Hamilton repeatedly flagged as central to performance once the racing starts.
“I think deployment’s going to be crucial, and understanding that, how to utilise the power, the battery throughout the lap, and recharging, all that kind of stuff,” he said. “But, we’ve done a huge amount of work. Everyone’s done a huge amount of work on the simulator… but we still have to go through our sessions and through the data to try and optimise it.”
Ferrari’s decision to sit out Monday means it headed into Wednesday with two days of running still available from the three allowed during the Barcelona window. And while it’s early — the sort of early where drawing conclusions is more dangerous than helpful — the mood from Hamilton’s camp sounded like what teams want to hear at this point: mileage in the bank, a manageable to-do list, and a sense that the car is responding to method rather than firefighting.
“Really proud of everyone back at the factory for getting the car to this point,” Hamilton said. “We got a lot of information on the car today. Definitely need to keep it up. Lots and lots to do, but a good first day.”
For Ferrari, that may be the key takeaway from a wet afternoon that didn’t look like much from the outside. In the first week of a new rulebook, competence is a performance metric of its own — and Barcelona, even under grey skies, offered an encouraging first read.
