Lewis Hamilton has described that Ferrari has made some "good discoveries" on its SF-26 car during the first week of Bahrain testing.
Hamilton finished third fastest overall in Sakhir with 190 laps under his belt across his day-and-a-half in the car, including a solid race simulation on Friday afternoon.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc completed a field-high 218 laps as Ferrari firmly cemented its status in the leading gaggle of teams.
Reflecting on his running, Hamilton also felt a "key" breakthrough had been made in understanding the new tyres.
"It’s been a positive week overall," Hamilton began his reflections with.
"We completed a lot of laps and went through the full programme, which allowed us to gather plenty of useful data and learn more about the car.
"The SF-26 has felt generally good, but this generation of car is quite complex and finding the right operating window, especially with the tyres, is key.
"We’ve made some good discoveries and also identified areas where we can improve.
"We still have another test ahead of us, which will be important to build on what we’ve learned and continue making progress."
Also interesting:
In this video, we explore a fascinating Mercedes engine theory that is engulfing the F1 paddock. We break down how it works, why it matters, and why this advantage — if real — may be brilliant, legal… but only temporary.
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!