Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss admits Ferrari are SHORT on parts after testing frustration

Angry Vasseur on the phone edited behind Hamilton covering his face with his hand in Ferrari F1 kit — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Testing 2026

Lewis Hamilton's boss admits Ferrari are SHORT on parts after testing frustration

Lewis Hamilton spent most of Thursday in the garage

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 20 February 2026 07:45

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Lewis Hamilton suffered a setback in Bahrain on Thursday morning and now Ferrari F1 team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed the shocking reason why.

Hamilton spent two and a half hours of the four hour morning session in the garage, with an issue that was undisclosed on the broadcast at the time.

After the covers were finally lifted from front of the Ferrari garage, Hamilton returned to the track for the final nine minutes, only to break for lunch with a meagre five laps under his belt.

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Speaking to the media on Thursday in Bahrain, Vasseur revealed the reason Hamilton was stuck in the garage for so long and confirmed a 'small issue' and that Ferrari were short on parts.

"We had a small issue that stopped the car for three hours," Vasseur explained.

"We are also preparing parts to go to Melbourne. On some items we are a bit short but it went very well on the reliability."

How are Ferrari getting on in Bahrain testing?

Ferrari's innovative designs they have brought to testing, have caused a stir in the paddock thus far with their exhaust wing and rear wing pulling particular focus to the SF-26.

On Wednesday in Bahrain, Ferrari debuted their exhaust wing which could divert exhaust gases to help the rear wing air flow, while also acting as an extension of the diffuser airflow in a bid to produce greater downforce.

The next day on Thursday, Ferrari once again set tech tongues wagging with their rotating rear wing which makes use of the active aerodynamics of the 2026 cars in an unique way.

When open on the straights, Ferrari were able to run their rear wing upside down, similarly to an aircraft wing, that helps to generate lift and reduce drag.

In addition, Hamilton proved to make his Ferrari look like a rocket ship at race starts, moving from a P9 grid position to lead at turn one following a practice start.

Whether these new features bring any performance advantage remains to be seen, with these designs brought specifically for testing and may not necessarily be on the car in Melbourne.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Fred Vasseur pre-season testing