F1
Lewis Hamilton gives Ferrari’s new car its track bow at Fiorano; Car features return to glossy livery with famous red described as “more intense”; watch F1 2026: Barcelona Shakedown with Ted Kravitz and guests after each day of the closed first test from Monday
Friday 23 January 2026 15:17, UK
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Ferrari have revealed their 2026 challenger for F1’s new era of regulations with the SF-26 immediately given its track debut by Lewis Hamilton in Italy.
Ferrari are seeking to bounce back from a hugely disappointing 2025 in which Hamilton’s first campaign with the team turned into a “nightmare” as they stuttered to fourth in the constructors’ standings having begun the season expecting to contend for titles.
Hamilton was given the honour of debuting the SF-26 – the moment captured by the Sky Sports F1 cameras – with Ferrari completing the car’s shakedown at their own Fiorano test track amid drizzly conditions on Friday.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc then took over the car later in the day.
The introduction of new chassis and power unit regulations have dictated that Ferrari’s designers, like all their counterparts on the grid, have had to have a “complete rethink of the car’s architecture”.
But there has also been a notable tweak to the famous livery for 2026..
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The SF-26, like Red Bull’s latest challenger, features a return to glossy paint after seven years of the previously in-vogue matte look.
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Ferrari say the red is “brighter and more intense” while the increase in white around the cockpit area and engine cover “creates a strong, balanced visual contrast, making the car instantly recognisable”.
F1’s new rules theoretically make a return to the front of the grid possible, but external expectations appear to have been lowered by last year’s underwhelming display.
“This car is the result of a tremendous team effort and represents the start of a completely new journey, built around a different set of rules that inevitably brings a number of unknowns,” said team principal Frederic Vasseur.
“The team is aligned and more united than ever as we look ahead to the season.”
Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, trackside in Fiorano for the shakedown:
“It actually looks smaller, it looks different. There’s a bit more white on the engine cover as part of the team’s visual identity, which has changed a little bit for this year.
“But the thing I’ve noticed straight away is this opening of the rear wing, that we’re seeing all these cars doing this year, and the new engine sound, that’s really different.
“We started to hear this with the other big team that ran that car yesterday, Mercedes, but now that I’m seeing and more importantly, hearing it, on the Ferrari, it really does sound different. It sounds louder and more raspy.”
Seven-time world champion Hamilton went a whole season without a grand prix podium for the first time in his F1 career following his blockbuster switch from Mercedes.
His team-mate Charles Leclerc fared better as he claimed seven podiums, but the Monegasque was unable to add to his eight career victories in a season that left both drivers extremely frustrated.
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Preparing to start his 20th season in F1 and with his contractual status beyond 2026 not publicly known, Hamilton clearly faces a crucial campaign after the disappointments of his first campaign in red.
“The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career,” said Hamilton.
“When a new era begins everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction.
“As a driver, being involved from the very start in the development of such a different car has been a particularly fascinating challenge, working closely with the engineers to help define a clear direction for the it.
“It will be an extremely important year from a technical perspective, with the driver playing a central role in energy management, understanding the new systems and contributing to the car’s development.
“It is a challenge we face together as a team, supported by the extraordinary passion of Ferrari’s tifosi, which means so much to all of us.”
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Leclerc, into his eighth year as a Ferrari race driver, added: “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 introduction of new regulations means there is a robust schedule of three separate testing events before the start of the 2026 season.
The first is a behind-closed-doors event in Barcelona from January 26-30, before two tests follow in Bahrain from February 11-13 and 18-20.
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The teams then have two weeks to prepare for the opening round of the season, which is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8.
The first practice sessions of the season will take place on Friday 6 March, with Qualifying on Saturday 7 March and the opening race on Sunday 8 March.
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