“No Big Problems”: Hot on the heels of unveiling of Ferrari's latest speed demon, SF-26, Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton rolled the new car out for its first shakedown on track.
Lewis Hamilton And Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have shared their first thoughts after driving Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car, the SF-26. The car was tested for the first time at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit after its official unveiling.Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, was the first to take the new car out on track on Friday morning. He completed a few laps before handing the car over to his teammate Leclerc, who finished the initial shakedown. Both drivers only ran a small number of laps, but it was enough to give them an early feeling for the new generation of F1 cars under the 2026 rules.
SF-26’s first laps on track 🥵
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 26, 2026
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/z4zu65hKCl pic.twitter.com/RYj2yulMVe
Hamilton said the experience was special and emotional. He explained that the moment the car starts and he feels the vibration through his body is something he never gets tired of. Driving past the Tifosi at Turn 1 made the moment even more memorable for him.He added that the day was more about reconnecting with the Ferrari team and its fans rather than performance. According to Hamilton, the shakedown reminded him why he loves racing and why he is passionate about Formula 1.
20 years of Lewis Hamilton in F1 🤩👊#F1 pic.twitter.com/mwXNEfEl1d
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 21, 2026
Leclerc said he was happy with how the day went but stressed that it was too early to judge the car’s performance. His main goal was to make sure everything on the car worked properly, which it did.The Ferrari driver pointed out that conditions were not ideal for testing. There was fog and the track was slightly wet, making it hard to properly feel the car’s true potential. Still, he said it was exciting to finally see months of behind-the-scenes work come together on track and to check real data from the car’s sensors for the first time.
my fav best bestie 97's F1 racer
— Ayu 🐱⚡ (@nunaleechan) December 29, 2025
max verstappen 🤝 charles lecrec
red bull 🤝 ferrari 💙❤️🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/kh6zNIxBg9
Hamilton is aiming to bounce back after a disappointing first season with Ferrari. The 41-year-old said he feels refreshed and excited about this new chapter. He admitted that he doesn’t usually say he’s excited, but this time feels different.Hamilton explained that he used the short break to reset mentally, drop bad habits, and focus on bringing the right energy to the team. While he couldn’t push the car during the shakedown, he said the real testing would begin soon.Both Hamilton and Leclerc will drive the SF-26 again later this week during a larger group shakedown in Barcelona, where Ferrari will continue learning about its new car ahead of the 2026 season.
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