Lewis Hamilton reflects on first Ferrari SF-26 experience after Fiorano shakedown

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari’s SF-26 shakedown on Friday was a reminder “of why I love doing what I do and why I love this sport.”

Hamilton is preparing for his second full season as a Ferrari driver in F1 2026 after a disappointing 2025 campaign with the Italian team.

Lewis Hamilton reacts after first laps with Ferrari SF-26 at Fiorano

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The former Mercedes driver failed to score a podium across a season for the first time in his career in 2025 with Hamilton struggling to match the pace of teammate Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari launched the SF-26 car on Friday before holding a brief demonstration event at Fiorano.

Hamilton had the honour of collecting the first laps with Ferrari’s SF-26 car before Leclerc took over driving duties in front of hardcore fans who had flocked to the team’s test track.

Leclerc and Hamilton took time to greet the fans stationed at Fiorano’s first corner after Ferrari’s running had concluded.

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Hamilton cut a downbeat figure at the end of 2025 after finishing the season with four consecutive Q1 eliminations.

The seven-time world champion faces an uncertain future in the sport with his current Ferrari contract due to expire at the end of this year.

Speaking after Ferrari’s shakedown, Hamilton – who turned 41 earlier this month – claimed that the day had “reignited” his passion for F1.

He told Formula 1: “Last year was the first time sitting in a red car and that was so unique as the first [time] and that will always be the first.

“But this one, obviously the cockpit’s quite white because we’ve got the [new] livery – it’s great.

“When you come back, you always hope you [still] fit [in the cockpit after the winter break] and fortunately I fit completely fine.

“It’s just so exciting when they fire the car up and you get the new vibration of the car through your body.

“And then they open up the [garage] door and you end up going down to Turn 1 where you can see [the fans]. Literally, when they open the door you can see the Tifosi.

“That’s something that I will never get used to and something that I’ll never be able to forget.

“But today is really about reconnecting: reconnecting with the team, reconnecting with that passion of all the people that follow this team.

“It’s just a day [when] it reignites. It really also reminds me why I love doing what I do and why I love this sport.”

He added: “The emotions? I think just waking up here in Ferrari is very, very, very special.

“Obviously I’ve been here for the past week or so, and seeing the car coming together, also just knowing how hard everyone works, and you get to see everyone at their desks every week that I’m here, and all the work that we’ve been doing on the simulator, and just the building blocks that you put in place, to then see a car come together.

“It is the most exciting part of the year when you see all these pieces come out of different departments and eventually it all fits together and you’re only one of two that gets to go out and drive it.

“It’s pretty remarkable and I’m so grateful for all the hard work everyone’s put into it.

“I think we didn’t do the launch here last year, even though obviously I got to drive here of course.

“But it just doesn’t get old. The Ferrari fan club is here today. They’ve flown in from all over, the Tifosi at Turn 1.

“They really are the heartbeat of this team and there’s just no experience like it.

“No other driver apart from Charles and I gets this experience. It’s so unique and so welcomed and I’m really grateful for it.”

In a post to the social media platform Instagram on Saturday, Hamilton added: “Every year I look forward to this. Car launch truly never gets old.

“Big shout to everyone who’s worked hard over the break to get us here. So many hands and minds have come together to create this, and this is our day one.

“Grazie Tifosi for showing up and bringing the energy. The passion is really unmatched.

“New year, new drive. Same mission.

“Welcome to the SF-26.”

Hamilton is set to get a new race engineer for the F1 2026 season after Riccardo Adami was moved to a new role within the organisation to focus on Ferrari’s junior scheme and TPC program.

Leclerc’s engineer, Bryan Bozzi, is also expected to manage Hamilton during the first pre-season test of F1 2026 in Barcelona, which begins tomorrow.

Ferrari was unable to confirm whether Hamilton’s new engineer will be an internal promotion or an external hire when approached by PlanetF1.com last week.

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