First look at SF-26 as Lewis Hamilton shakes down new Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has given Ferrari's 2026 F1 challenger its on-track debut on Friday.

Ferrari presented the SF-26 in a short video reveal on Friday morning, before seven-time world champion Hamilton got behind the wheel for the first time.

Hamilton drove the first laps in Ferrari's brand-new F1 car at the team's Fiorano test track.

Ferrari are conducting an initial shakedown run as part of a 200km filming day.

The SF-26 will then head to Barcelona for F1's collective shakedown test next week, which runs between 26-30 January. 

Ferrari's 2026 car sports a sleek retro livery featuring more white alongside the Scuderia's classic red colour scheme.

Hamilton is looking to put a hugely disappointing debut Ferrari campaign behind him as F1 enters a new era of regulations which could shake-up the pecking order.

The 41-year-old Briton failed to finish on a Grand Prix podium for the first time in his F1 career in 2025 and was comprehensively outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari endured a dreadfully uncompetitive season and were winless as they slipped to fourth place in the constructors' championship. 

Hamilton braced for 'huge challenge' 

At Ferrari's launch, Hamilton said: "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.

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

"When a new era begins everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction."

Leclerc said: "The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers. There are many new systems to understand and optimise, which is why we have been heavily involved from the early stages of the project's development.

"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."