The 41-year-old Briton added: “The 2026 season represents an enormous problem for everybody, in all probability the most important regulation change I’ve skilled in my profession.
“When a brand new period begins all the pieces revolves round growth, development as a group, and transferring ahead in the identical path.”
Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc stated: “The 2026 rules demand a fair larger degree of preparation, notably for us drivers. There are various new techniques to grasp and optimise, which is why we’ve got been closely concerned from the early levels of the challenge’s growth.
“Power administration and the facility unit can be among the many most vital points – an enchanting problem which would require us drivers to adapt shortly, relying extra on intuition to start with, after which more and more on exact knowledge.”
The brand new SF-26 automotive ran for the primary time at Ferrari’s Fiorano check observe on Friday, earlier than heading to the primary pre-season check, which can be held in non-public at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya subsequent week.
There are then two additional assessments in Bahrain in February.
Group principal Frederic Vasseur stated the automotive ran with out issues at Fiorano however stated it was “too early for expectations”.
“We’ll see efficiency in Melbourne (on the first race of the season on 6-8 March),” Vasseur stated. “However the season will not be over in Melbourne. There can be numerous growth via the yr, greater than within the final two years.
“The goal in Barcelona can be to get most knowledge on the automotive after which we begin the event from Bahrain onwards.”
No impartial media are allowed on the Barcelona check and groups can run on a most of three of the 5 days.
Vasseur stated Ferrari would run for the primary time on Tuesday in Barcelona and resolve afterwards which two of the three remaining days they’d use.
Ferrari technical director Loic Serra stated: “We devoted important time to the idea part to seize as a lot as attainable of the brand new regulatory and technical context.
“We additionally had to make sure that the automotive’s structure would enable us sufficient flexibility for in-season growth. On this setting, effectivity and the combination of options like energetic aerodynamics are essential.”
