Lewis Hamilton Dominates Day One of Pre-Season Testing with SF-26

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KabarOto.com - Lewis Hamilton marked the end of the first leg of pre-season testing with Scuderia Ferrari HP at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. With the 44-year-old at the helm of the SF-26, the team successfully wrapped up their opening testing program on the 11-13 February.

In a remarkable display of stamina and consistency, Hamilton covered an impressive 149 laps, totaling 808 kilometers, providing the team with crucial data before the official start of competition.

Hamilton's workday began in the early morning session, commencing shortly after 10 am local time. Ferrari focused on collecting raw data and fine-tuning their car's setup using C3 tires during the morning session.

The team's technical staff paid particular attention to comparing different vehicle configurations to observe how the SF-26 responds to mechanical changes and evaluate the behavior of the C3 tires on the hot track. In this morning session, Hamilton clocked his best lap of 1:34.209 seconds from a total of 69 laps.

Resuming the afternoon session after a lunch break, the intensity of testing did not wane. Hamilton returned to the track to explore the SF-26's capabilities with a more varied tire setup.

Initially focusing on C3 tires, the team eventually transitioned to testing the C1 and C2 tire compounds. This experiment was pivotal for Ferrari in completing a thorough performance comparison of the three tire compounds used during the Sakhir testing period.

In summary, Ferrari's performance throughout the three-day testing period in Bahrain was solid. Considering the accumulated data, the SF-26 covered a total distance of 2,291 kilometers through 423 laps, with no significant reliability issues.

The massive mileage gained serves as valuable input for the engineers back at Maranello to assess the robustness of the engine components and aerodynamics under the extreme desert heat.

In his official statement, Lewis Hamilton expressed satisfaction with the team's work in Bahrain. He regarded the first week of testing as highly positive due to the team's ability to complete their planned program without major hitches.

Although pleased with his new car's potential, Hamilton acknowledged that the current generation of cars is highly complex, particularly in determining the optimal operating window for the tires.

'The SF-26 generally feels good, but the current generation of cars is quite complex. Finding the optimal operating window, especially concerning tires, is the key,' explained Hamilton.

Hamilton also noted that the team discovered several key findings regarding the car's power but remained humble in recognizing areas that require improvement. He views the upcoming second test as a crucial momentum builder for advancing from what was learned in the past three days.

Reflecting Hamilton's cautious approach is his focus on understanding the SF-26's character in-depth before the opening round of the season in Melbourne.

Shares the same sentiment as the driver, Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP emphasized that the team's top priority is currently reliability and accumulating mileage.

Vasseur expressed his satisfaction with the team's operational performance, stating that from an operational standpoint, there were no significant technical issues. The vast amount of data gathered in Bahrain will soon be sent and analyzed at the factory to refine the team's working procedures on track.

In conclusion, Vasseur reiterated that the team is not overly focused on recording lap times or pure performance in the testing standings.

'The primary objective is to build a solid technical understanding to place Ferrari in the best possible position for the first race,' Vasseur stated.

Scuderia Ferrari HP is tentatively scheduled to return to the Sakhir circuit next Wednesday for the final round of pre-season testing before the start of the 2026 season.

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