<figure id="attachment_3285576" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3285576" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3285576" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/f5cbae22-lewis-hamilton-19022026.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3285576" class="wp-caption-text">Scuderia Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton in action during the Formula 1 pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
SAKHIR: Lewis Hamilton on Wednesday said that Ferrari&#8217;s new car has his &#8220;DNA&#8221; within it as the seven-time world champion put it through its paces on the first day of the second pre-season test in Bahrain.
Hamilton was seventh-fastest on the day and managed 44 laps, while his teammate Charles Leclerc put in 70 and was 0.6 sec faster in third place.
After a miserable first season at Ferrari last year, seven-time world champion Hamilton said he felt in sync with the Scuderia&#8217;s new car – the SF-26.
&#8220;Last year we were locked into a car that ultimately I inherited,&#8221; Hamilton said.
&#8220;This is a car that I&#8217;ve been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last 10 months.
&#8220;And so a bit of my DNA is within it. I&#8217;m more connected to this one for sure.&#8221;
For the first time in his career, Hamilton failed to even muster a podium finish last term as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.
But he said he is entering the new season in a positive frame of mind.
&#8220;I really felt like I spent a lot of time rebuilding over this winter, refocusing, really getting my body and my mind to a much better place,&#8221; the 41-year-old said.
&#8220;I generally feel, personally, in the best place that I&#8217;ve been in a long, long time.
&#8220;And then the car, we&#8217;ve started off quite well so far. It&#8217;s an exciting time with this new generation of car.&#8221;
Every car on the grid has undergone a radical change since the end of last season following dramatic regulation changes to both chassis and engines.
But the four teams that topped the constructors&#8217; standings last season – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – appear increasingly dominant.
The objective of these tests is to accumulate laps to collect as much data as possible on the reliability of the hybrid units – 50% thermal, 50% electric – and the behaviour of the single-seaters before the first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne on March 8.

MatchPoint Times

Hamilton feeling ‘connected’ to new Ferrari car at test sessions

Lewis Hamilton was seventh-fastest on the day and managed 44 laps, while his teammate Charles Leclerc put in 70 and was 0.6 sec faster in third place.

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