The 2026 Formula 1 era has kicked off, and Lewis Hamilton wasted no time making waves in his first outing for Ferrari. On Thursday, February 19, 2026, during the penultimate day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Hamilton took the radically redesigned SF-26 and put on a show.
In the mandatory race start trials, the Brazilian blasted from the middle of the pack straight to the front before anyone else even reached the first corner. People in the paddock actually stopped and stared. Most teams right now are still tangled up in the new power unit rules.
The long turbo spooling is giving everyone headaches, but Ferrari seems to have figured something out. Their car just takes off. Even though Hamilton missed part of the morning with a minor hiccup, his afternoon runs were seriously fast.
Rapid from Lewis Hamilton at the practice start 💨#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/5sPixZ2Z7i
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 19, 2026
How Ferrari Mastered The Controversial 2026 Start Procedure
The spotlight from Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit was just how far ahead Ferrari looked when everyone tried out the new grid launches. With the 2026 rules, they ditched the MGU-H, so now there’s loads of turbo lag. Most drivers have to sit there, revving the engine for what feels like ten seconds or more, before the lights even go out.
THIS START BY LEWIS HAMILTON & FERRARI 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WOhN0chXYS
— sim (@simscircuit) February 19, 2026
But Hamilton’s SF-26 didn’t seem to care. In a practice start, even though he was a few rows back, he blew past his old Mercedes teammate George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who barely moved.
People in the paddock say Ferrari pulled this off by going with a smaller, snappier turbocharger, a move they guarded fiercely last year by blocking any rule tweaks. That’s what turned their car into a launch “rocketship.”
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