Overview
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc logged the SF-26’s first laps at Fiorano, with Ferrari confirming a brief on-track stop was planned to manage the 15km demonstration limit.
- The 2026 regulations bring a near 50:50 split between electric and combustion power, active front and rear wings, smaller lighter cars and sustainable fuels, putting a premium on energy management.
- Ferrari says the initial specification prioritises mileage and data collection, with performance upgrades targeted for the Bahrain tests ahead of Melbourne.
- A behind-closed-doors shakedown runs at Barcelona from January 26–30 with each team allowed three days, followed by official Bahrain tests on February 11–13 and 18–20 before the March 8 season opener in Australia.
- Williams will miss the Barcelona running due to FW48 delays and will shift focus to virtual programmes before aiming to join testing in Bahrain.