Lewis Hamilton said he sees a “winning mentality” in Ferrari this year after the team completed its first week of preseason testing ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The seven-time world champion finished the weeklong test in Barcelona with the fastest lap time after setting a 1:16.348 mark in the final hour of the test that was 0.097 seconds faster than the best effort set by his former Mercedes teammate George Russell the day before.
Lap times mean very little at this stage of testing, but Ferrari also enjoyed three productive days on track, which included a total of 440 laps between Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc.
With two tests in Bahrain still to come ahead of the opening round of the season, the 41-year-old appeared buoyed by his team’s positive start to 2026.
“We definitely have work to do to improve, of course, like everybody does, but I think we’ve had great debriefs,” Hamilton said.
“Everyone’s really on it. … I really feel the winning mentality in every single person in the team more than ever. So it’s a positive.”
New regulations for 2026 have resulted in a threefold increase in the electric output from the power unit as well as smaller, lighter cars this year.
Hamilton stressed that Ferrari still has work to do to fully understand its all-new car and that it will likely require significant steps in performance to come out on top.
“I mean, we’re under no illusions that we’ve got work to do,” he said. “Mercedes have done great running as well and I think Red Bull and Haas did some great running too.
“So we don’t really know where we are, but I think it’s a solid first week and we can really build from here. But there may be some big leaps that we’re going to need to take.
“Development’s going to be key,” he said. “Just really making sure we leave no stone unturned and we’re just really clear and concise with our communication and the decisions we take. And it’s going to take all of us to be at our best.
“And I’m just seeing that everyone’s really coming with new energy this year, which is great.”
The increase in electric power is expected to put the onus on drivers during races this season as they decide how best to use the available energy from the cockpit.
Active aerodynamics on the front and rear wings have been introduced to reduce energy-sapping drag on the straights, while overall downforce levels are also down as a result of stricter regulations around the floor of the car.
“In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years,” Hamilton added.
“The new car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive. It’s oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch.
“I would definitely say more enjoyable,” he said.
