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Scuderia Ferrari HP reveal their new livery for the 2026 Formula One season. (1:24)
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have completed the first laps in Ferrari’s new 2026 Formula 1 car at the team’s test track, Fiorano.
The SF-26 was launched on Friday morning ahead of a shakedown at the circuit located within the confines of Ferrari’s sprawling Maranello factory.
The new car completed a handful of laps without issue and will return to the track at the opening preseason test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week.
“The launch is always emotional because you know that the team is putting a lot of effort and when I say the team, it’s not only the visible part of the iceberg that you have on track, it’s the people at home, the people working on the chassis, on the engine, on the production,” team principal Fred Vasseur said.
“It’s always something very emotional. I think it’s even more true this season because we know the amount of work that we had to put into this project.”
The proximity of a public road next to the Fiorano circuit meant videos from fans and broadcasters soon appeared online, with Hamilton’s distinctive yellow helmet behind the wheel on the opening lap.
One video showed the car stopping on the main straight next to the pits, leading to online speculation that it may have broken down.
However, a Ferrari spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that the stop was “part of the plan” to optimise the mileage available for a demonstration event under F1’s regulations.
Outside of official preseason testing, teams are allowed to complete two 200km promotional events (often referred to as filming days) per season and two demonstration events capped at 15km.
To make sure no mileage was wasted at Fiorano, Hamilton was instructed to stop on track, perform what appeared to be a practice start, and was then wheeled back to the garage by mechanics.
Leclerc then got his first taste of the SF-26 within the same allocation of mileage.
New regulations this season have resulted in an overhaul of the power unit to produce more electric power as well as new chassis regulations to make the cars smaller and lighter.
Active aerodynamics on the front and rear wing have also been introduced to increase efficiency, and Hamilton was seen activating the wings as he drove towards the first corner.
Team principal Fred Vasseur said the car’s on-track debut represented an early milestone in the project, with the next step being three days of reliable running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week.
“We know the challenge that we had to face on this project and it was a good day today when the car left the garage but on the other hand, it’s not the target,” Vasseur said.
“The target for sure is the season [to come] — it means that it’s the start of a new journey, starting today with the test in Barcelona in Bahrain and the races.
“The most important is to be able to do mileage. And that’s why we are quite happy today because we didn’t have any issue. And I think this is, for Barcelona, a good step.
“In Barcelona, the target will be to get the maximum of information on the car, maximum of data. And then we start the development from Bahrain onwards.”
Vasseur made clear at the end of last year that Ferrari’s launch car would essentially be an A-spec version to maximise mileage at the first test, before the “real car” emerges ahead of the first race.
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Technical director Loic Serra confirmed on Friday that more developments are scheduled during the second and third tests in Bahrain.
“There will be evolutions of the car for sure, I mean the development doesn’t just start with the beginning of the season, it will be there as well in winter testing,” Serra said.
Next week’s test provides teams with the opportunity to hit the track on three days within a five-day window from Jan. 26-30.
Vasseur confirmed Ferrari would not run on the first day of the test, but did plan to run on the second day. It will then decide how to use the remainder of its allocation over the final three days.

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