Ferrari F1 launch live: Lewis Hamilton drives new 2026 car in Fiorano – The Independent
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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drive the 2026 car as the SF-26 is unveiled on Friday in Maranello
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Ferrari are the latest team to unveil their 2026 F1 car livery at their launch event on Friday, just six weeks out from the start of the new season in Australia.
Red Bull started the launch season last week with an extravagant event in partnership with new engine partner Ford in Detroit, revealing the liveries for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls with Max Verstappen on hand.
This week, Haas, Audi and Mercedes all published digital renders of their 2026 challengers with Ferrari and Alpine to follow on Friday. McLaren launch their event on 9 February, as do Aston Martin, while Cadillac will unveil their new livery in an advert during the Super Bowl.
Anticipation is high at the Scuderia and for drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, after a disappointing 2025 campaign when they failed to win a grand prix.
Follow live coverage of Ferrari’s launch with The Independent.
Williams have withdrawn from next week’s private F1 pre-season test in Barcelona following “delays” to their car development programme.
James Vowles’s outfit, who boast an impressive driver pairing in Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, have long targeted 2026 and this new set of regulations as a year to work their way up the pecking order.
Yet following reports that the team’s 2026 car, the FW48, had failed the FIA’s mandatory crash tests, the team confirmed on Friday that they will not be present at the shakedown event for all 11 teams next week.
More below:
“Like Hamilton, he got a lap behind the camera car and then a second lap to push,” says F1 TV presenter Lawrence Barretto.
“And like Lewis, he stopped on track at the end of that lap, did a practice start and was then pushed back to the garage.
“This was all planned. Contrary to some reports, the car didn’t suffer an issue in either of those stoppages – they were simply planned stops to complete a practice start.
“That concludes the running at Fiorano. The car will now be packed up and shipped off to Spain for the Barcelona Shakedown.”
The Monegasque driver has driven the SF-26 for the first time:
“Lewis Hamilton kicked off the day with an install lap for the SF-26,” says F1 TV’s Lawrence Barretto.
“The second run was 2 laps, the 1st behind a camera car, the 2nd more of a flier. He then finished with a practice start and a stop on track, as planned.
“Charles Leclerc in the car next.”
“Under the 2026 regulations, the power unit becomes a more integral part than ever in the overall car concept.
“The significantly increased role of the electric component, the introduction of 99% sustainable fuel and the removal of the MGU-H represent a clear shift in philosophy, rather than a simple evolution compared with the 2014 to 2025 era.
“This required us to rethink the architecture of the power unit from the very beginning, focusing on efficiency, integration and energy management, always in close collaboration with our colleagues in the chassis department.
“It is a complex technical challenge, which we have approached with great respect and discipline, with the objective of optimising the entire car system as the season progresses.”
We understand that Hamilton stopped just outside the garage (end of video below) in order to maximise the amount of kilometres Ferrari could run… not because there was an issue!
“Developing the SF-26 project required us to adapt to a completely new regulatory framework. We dedicated significant time to the concept phase to capture as much of possible of the new regulatory & technical context.
“We also had to ensure that the car’s architecture would allow us enough flexibility for in season development. In this environment, efficiency and the integration of features like active aerodynamics are crucial.
“The SF-26 represents a major collaborative effort from the entire team at the factory, and we are looking forward to starting the season.”
Hamilton is out on track as we speak:
Under current FIA regulations, teams are allocated two days in which 200 kilometres of running is permitted, often conducted in the days preceding official pre-season testing.
Hamilton was waving to the hundreds of fans who gathered up on the hill for a glimpse of the SF-26.
“The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers. There are many new systems to understand and optimise, which is why we have been heavily involved from the early stages of the project’s development.
“During my time with Scuderia Ferrari HP we have already experienced major regulatory changes together, so we know how complex this challenge can be, but we are working with a lot of motivation to arrive on track as well prepared as possible.
“Energy management and the power unit will be among the most significant aspects – a fascinating challenge which will require us drivers to adapt quickly, relying more on instinct to begin with, and then increasingly on precise data.
“The support of the fans will be especially important this season: it is what makes Ferrari so unique and pushes us to give our very best.”
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