Watch: Hamilton activates moveable rear wing in ‘biggest regulation change’
Lewis Hamilton debuts Ferrari SF-26
Ahead of his 20th season on the F1 grid, Lewis Hamilton has billed F1 2026’s technical reset as the “biggest regulation change” he has ever experienced.
After four seasons of racing ground-effect aerodynamic cars, this season Formula 1 is not only putting all-new cars on the grid, but the engine formula has also been tweaked.
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In years gone by, it’s been either the car, such as in 2022, or the engine formula, as in 2014, that has changed.
Bidding farewell to the ground-effect cars last season, Formula 1 is moving on to cars incorporating active aerodynamics. The new cars will be 20cm shorter and 30kg lighter than their predecessors and use movable front and rear wings.
As for the changes on the engine side, the power units will run on fully sustainable fuel and have a 50-50 split between electrical and combustion power.
It opens the door for a team, or an engine manufacturer, to gain a march on its rival through innovation – or loophole.
Ferrari’s all-new car and engine completed its first on-track laps at the team’s private track, Fiorano, on Friday where Hamilton covered the first three laps in a limited 15km demonstration event before handing the car over to his teammate Charles Leclerc, who put in a further two laps to hit the permitted mileage.
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The short run allowed Ferrari to ensure that all the systems are working as required.
Video footage of Hamilton activating the movable front and rear wings as he headed towards the first corner was posted on social media.
Although this season marks the Briton’s 20th year on the Formula 1 grid, racing a car that uses active aerodynamics is a first for the seven-time World Champion who has billed F1 2026’s changes as the “biggest” he’s ever experienced in the sport.
“The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career,” said the 41-year-old
“When a new era begins everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction.
“As a driver, being involved from the very start in the development of such a different car has been a particularly fascinating challenge, working closely with the engineers to help define a clear direction for the it.
“It will be an extremely important year from a technical perspective, with the driver playing a central role in energy management, understanding the new systems and contributing to the car’s development.
“It is a challenge we face together as a team, supported by the extraordinary passion of Ferrari’s tifosi, which means so much to all of us.”
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