Lewis Hamilton Reveals "Fascinating Challenge" Ahead of New F1 Season

Lewis Hamilton has revealed the "fascinating challenge" he has faced heading into the new Formula 1 season.

The seven-time F1 world champion enters the new campaign hoping for a vast improvement on what was a difficult first year with Ferrari, where his victory in the Chinese Grand Prix on what was only the second round of the season was his highlight.

Underlining the Scuderia's struggles was the fact that teammate Charles Leclerc failed to win a race all year, though the Monegasque picked up the team's only pole position of the campaign at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton | Credit Antoine Truchet - Scuderia Ferrari HP

Hamilton on "huge challenge"

Hamilton will be with a new race engineer this term after Ricardo Adami was moved to a new role, the Briton hoping that a reset over the winter will help bring better results.

After the SF-26 was launched on Friday, January 23, Hamilton gave his thoughts ahead of the beginning of the new season.

"The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career," he said.

"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.

"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."

Sound ON! 🔊 The SF-26 comes to life! pic.twitter.com/aC1M0K58V3
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 23, 2026

Hamilton took the SF-26 for its first laps in a quick shakedown at Ferrari's Fiorano test track immediately after the launch.

He will be back in the car alongside Leclerc at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first pre-season test next week, which takes place behind closed doors as teams acclimate to the new technical regulations.

Changes have been made to the chassis, aerodynamics and power unit regulations ahead of the new season, and as such, there will be a further two tests before the first race of the year at the Australian Grand Prix.

Both will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit, with the final test broadcast live in its entirety.

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