F1 legend Lewis Hamilton sleeping at Ferrari HQ during pre-season

Hamilton dipping his Ferrari cap sombrely, partially hiding his face — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton sleeping at Ferrari HQ during pre-season

It's all hands on deck at Maranello

By Chris Deeley.

Sunday 25 January 2026 15:00

It's not just the tech industry that has people wanting to sleep in the office so they're always on hand, it turns out.

An F1 insider has revealed that Lewis Hamilton has been staying at Ferrari's Italian base as they gear up for the 2026 season.

The Brit got to drive the new SF-26 for the first time on Friday, taking it out for a (very) brief spin in front of the Tifosi after the 2026 livery was presented to fans online in a pulse-pounding hype video.

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His team-mate Charles Leclerc also got a quick run out, completing a couple of laps and a practice start before the car was brought back to the garage to cool down and have a snooze.

Barretto: Hamilton staying at Maranello motorhome

F1.com's Lawrence Barretto got a behind-the-scenes look at the Ferrari launch day, and detailed his experience the next day while also producing a couple of extra nuggets of info.

Hamilton later told Barretto: "The good thing is when you come back you always hope you fit. Fortunately it fit completely fine. It’s just so exciting when they fire the car up and you get the new vibration of the car through your body, and then they open up the door and you end up going down to Turn 1 where you can see the Tifosi.

"That’s something that I will never get used to, and something that I’ll never be able to forget. But today’s really about reconnecting with the team, reconnecting with that passion of all the people that follow this team. It’s just a day that reignites you. It really also reminds me of why I love doing what I do and why I love this sport."

Formula 1