Pre-Season Testing

Lewis Hamilton boosted as Ferrari set for massive upgrades ahead of next F1 test

Chris Deeley Sunday 15 February 2026 21:13

Lewis Hamilton during F1 testing in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton doesn't seem like he's been able to get used to getting good news from Ferrari since he joined them last year.

Instead, the vibe has been more 'mother during the Civil War who started out with nine sons out in the Union army and now, after a string of solemnly delivered letters, is down to two, and she's just heard a knock on the front door'.

However, unlike that unlucky hypothetical mother (sepsis this time, alive but minus one and a half legs, if you were curious), there is some good news being delivered to the seven-time world champion.

The first showings from Bahrain appear to indicate that Ferrari have put together a solid package, and they're not done yet – with F1 technical expert Sam Collins reporting that the team has an 'awful lot more' upgrades coming in time for the last round of testing before the season starts.

Collins: Keep an eye on Ferrari

Speaking after the first day of running in Bahrain, Collins said: “Ferrari is one team that everybody always talks about. You can see some of the beautiful intricate aerodynamic elements around the rear of the diffuser, and this is an area that every team is working on much harder than normal.

“You can also see other areas that are quite important, like ahead of the rear wheel. They’ve actually changed one of those for today, the first day of testing in Bahrain. They’ve changed the cutouts ahead of the rear wheel of the car.

“It is just a generally interesting design, but we do hear that Ferrari has an awful lot more to come in terms of upgrades in the second Bahrain test, or possibly even by the end of this test. So keep an eye on that one.”

Are the Scuderia title favourites yet? No, the bookies still have them behind Mercedes and McLaren (both benefitting from the controversial Merc engine, as things stand), while Hamilton is seventh favourite for the drivers' title. But good news is good news, and the Brit will get to test out a lot of exciting new toys in Bahrain 2.0.

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