Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles played down by Alex Brundle after Day 1 of Bahrain testing

Lewis Hamilton has voiced concerns about the next generation of Formula 1 cars that are sure to get the attention of those running the sport.

On Wednesday, Hamilton spent the morning session in the SF-26 before handing it over to Charles Leclerc for the afternoon stint.

Leclerc ended up third on the timesheets after putting in 80 laps, while Hamilton finished seventh. But at this stage of testing, lap times don’t mean much.

Hamilton’s session was briefly interrupted when Franco Colapinto’s Alpine brought out a red flag, but his frustrations were more directed at certain aspects of the 2026 rules.

After completing 52 laps in the SF-26, Hamilton described not replacing his race engineer Riccardo Adami before pre-season as “detrimental.”

Speaking about the new regulations during an interview with The Race, Hamilton said: “At Barcelona, for example, you’re doing 600 metres lift and coast on a qualifying lap. That’s not what racing is about.

“None of the fans are going to understand it. It’s so complex. It’s ridiculously complex.

Alex Brundle Sees Silver Lining for Hamilton Amid Ferrari’s Early Issues in Bahrain

Hamilton shared his thoughts on the opening day of testing, expressing gratitude that Ferrari were receptive to his input but also noted that the conditions made it tough to get the best out of the car.

The new cars were shown live for the first time in the final hour of testing, with Alex Brundle joining Alex Jacques on commentary, which Sky Sports relayed.

Looking back at Hamilton’s time on track, Brundle said: “I watched Lewis Hamilton a little bit earlier on in the Ferrari and thought, ‘Blimey, that thing’s really, really struggling!’

“Then I watched the rest of the cars and realised that it’s a factor of this generation of cars.”

“Lando Norris mentioned that the car has a significant amount less downforce; it certainly feels like it has less than previous generations.”

“So, it will be truly fascinating to see going forward.”

Hamilton faces early challenges at two corners in Bahrain

Brundle noted that every driver appeared to be facing their own set of challenges during the day’s running in Bahrain.

Hamilton seemed to be dealing with braking issues, but there were two sections of the track that were problematic for everyone.

The new power unit regulations and changes in battery deployment have made it much harder for drivers to accurately judge braking zones.

Hamilton had a half-spin heading into turn one, though several others also struggled with lock-ups and wide lines into the right-hand hairpin.

Because battery deployment now causes cars to slow down as they run out of energy, judging where to hit the brakes has become far less predictable than before.

Turn 10, already known as a challenging spot on the circuit, was also giving drivers trouble. Many were either running wide or taking evasive action to avoid ending up in the barriers.