Lewis Hamilton handed major boost with Ferrari upgrades coming before next F1 test

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 2026, Social — Photo: © IMAGO

Pre-Season Testing

Lewis Hamilton handed major boost with Ferrari upgrades coming before next F1 test

Hamilton hasn't had the best of times with his new team

By Chris Deeley.

Tuesday 17 February 2026 19:00

Lewis Hamilton could be forgiven for feeling a little shell-shocked by life at Ferrari so far, with positive updates often in short supply since his high-profile switch to the Scuderia last year.

For long stretches, the mood around his first season in red has felt less like cautious optimism and more like bracing for the next piece of bad news, with setbacks arriving almost as regularly as official announcements.

But there is finally some genuine encouragement for the seven-time world champion, with Ferrari preparing a significant package of upgrades ahead of the next F1 test — developments that could offer Hamilton his first real boost since joining the Italian team.

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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.

“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.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari