Drivers are getting extra time behind the wheel this week on the first Bahrain pre-season take a look at.
Lewis Hamilton drove for Ferrari within the first session of Bahrain testing on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton has claimed the brand new technology of Method 1 automobiles “really feel” slower than even Method 2 equipment. The seven-time world champion has solely had a restricted period of time behind the wheel of his new Ferrari to this point, having pushed simply a few laps at their Fiorano take a look at monitor earlier than a shakedown in Barcelona on the finish of January.
However he was in a position to put in just a few extra hours on Wednesday as the primary official pre-season take a look at lastly obtained below means. Hamilton was the driving force chosen by Ferrari to get behind the wheel of the SF-26 for the morning session on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit and, afterwards, advised gathered reporters that, whereas it’s “a extra enjoyable automobile to drive”, he nonetheless has reservations.
The Brit, who additionally had a minor spin through the four-hour session, stated: “It is loads much less downforce. The automobile is shorter, it is lighter, and it is really simpler to catch. It is fairly enjoyable, it is like rallying loads. Yeah, I feel we’re slower than GP2 [F2], proper now, proper? I imply, it does really feel like that.”
Hamilton’s phrases echoed these from Lando Norris only some days in the past, because the reigning world champion mirrored on his personal early experiences of the 2026 automobile. Talking as McLaren unveiled the livery for the MCL40, the 26-year-old stated: “It actually seems like an F2 automobile in some methods with how you must drive it.
“I do not know if I like that or not, in the interim. However I feel we understood fairly just a few issues already from Barcelona on the way you needed to drive the automobile. However Barcelona, you are speaking about fourth-gear corners, third-gear corners, fairly open, fairly large. Once you get to a avenue monitor or bumpier tracks, slower tracks, that is a query we’re but to reply.
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Of the 11 drivers who hit the monitor brilliant and early on Wednesday, Max Verstappen set the benchmark time of 1:35.433, finishing 65 laps. Oscar Piastri was second, lower than two-tenths of a second behind having accomplished 11 laps fewer, whereas George Russell in third was almost seven-tenths away and Hamilton precisely a second slower in fourth.
Timings at this stage, although, are largely meaningless given crew might be executing vastly completely different run plans to evaluate each efficiency and reliability, that means a quick lap could be very low down the order of priorities. Plus, no-one might be too keen to indicate their hand at this stage with 5 extra full days of testing nonetheless to return over the subsequent two weeks.
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