Ferrari On Track For The First Time! | 2026 Ferrari Team Launch

It is the most exciting part of the year. I think it's one of the biggest changes that has happened in F1 history. Hey and welcome to Ferrano where Ferrari have just launched their 2026 campaign with this, the SF26. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc took it out for a spin and they've got some pretty cool design features. There's a stepped shark fin at the rear and they've moved to push rod suspension at the rear for the first time since 2011. Now the technical team has said they've left some flexibility in the designs. If they need to evolve during the season, they've got that space and won't be constrained by early design choices. Now Lewis and Charles took the car out for a spin. They've got a few laps to kind of get a taste of what this car is like. Let's hear what they've got to say now. Well Charles, it's launch day. I imagine it's one that you look forward to every year. You've got the chance to take a spin in your new car. How was it? Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to this day every year. However, it's the kind of days where the main target is to kind of check that everything is working properly and that there are no big problems, which was the case today. So that is a positive. But in terms of performance, in terms of feeling, it's too early to say. The conditions weren't that great either. There's a lot of fog, a little bit of a wet track as well. So it's not the best conditions to test a car for the first time. But I was very excited because there's been so much talk and so much work behind the scenes in order to get to that moment ready and so that the car could obviously go around the track normally and check for the first time the real sensors on the car to see whether it was doing the things that we expected. So yeah, it's been an exciting, a very exciting moment, especially because being in Fiorano, there's a lot of tifosi all around the track and that adds to that very special feeling. How emotional is it when you get to see the car for the first time? Because you touched on it there, but obviously the team has been working for nearly a year on this now and this is what you've got now for the rest of the year. So it must be quite a special thing. I think it's one of the biggest changes that has happened in F1 history. So it's been particularly exciting for that. Since I arrived in F1, I've had one big technical change in 2020 from 2021 to 2022, but this is nothing to do with that. We kind of have to relearn most of the programs. We've got to understand the system a lot better and in order to make the most out of it. So there are many, many implications also on the driver's side, the way we drive, the way we'll manage the racing. And this makes it a big challenge, but that's something that excites me. And with all the work that has been behind the scene, I was just really keen to finally try it in reality and see how it felt. So yeah, it was very exciting. And now just finally, you've had a taste, how excited are you to just get going really with Barcelona next week, the two Bahrain tests and just get the season underway? Very excited because now today I couldn't really push to the max, even though I wanted, because once you close the visor, you just want to go flat out, but it wasn't probably the proper day to do just that today. So yeah, Barcelona will finally be in conditions where we can push the car and where we have to push the car in order to try and find the limit for us drivers to try and be as close to the limit as possible straight from the first qualifying of the year. So yeah, I can't wait. Every year, this day is such a cool day because you get to see your new car, your new office for the year. What are the emotions when you first got to see it? Well, the emotions I think just waking up here in Ferrari is just, it's very, very, very special. And I think, obviously I've been here the past week or so and seeing the car coming together. Also just knowing how hard everyone works and you get to see everyone at their desks every week that I'm here. And all the work that we've been doing on the simulator and just the building blocks that you put in place to then see a car come together. It is the most exciting part of the year when you see all these pieces come out of different departments and then eventually it all fits together and you're only one of two that gets to go out and drive it. You know, it's pretty remarkable and I'm so grateful for all the hard work everyone's put into it. But to do it here, I think we didn't do the launch here last year, even though obviously I got to drive here, of course, but it just doesn't get old. I mean, the Ferrari fan club is here today. They've flown in from all over the Tifosi at Turn 1. They really are the heartbeat of this team. And there's just no experience like it. No other driver apart from Charles and I get this experience. And it's so unique and so welcomed. And yeah, I'm really grateful for it. I know you only got a few laps and you weren't pushing at all and it's a bit of a tease almost, but how was it? What was it like when you first slipped into that cockpit and you got going? Well, I mean, last year was the first time sitting in a red car and that was so unique as the first and that will always be the first. But I mean, in this one, obviously the cockpit is quite white because we've got the liveries. It's great. But everything, the good thing is always when you come back, you always hope you fit. Unfortunately, I fit completely fine. And I don't know, it's just so exciting when they fire the car up and you get the new vibration of the car through your body. And then they open up the door and you end up going down to Turn 1 where you can see literally when they open the door, you can see the Tifosi. And that's something that I will never get used to and something that I'll never be able to ever forget. Awesome. Well, next step is Barcelona and you start to get excited. How excited are you to get going really and just start to unleash something with this car next week and then beyond into Bahrain? I mean, if you probably look at all my other interviews all the other years, I'd never say that I get excited, but I'm massively excited. And I think that's OK to say that. Yeah, I'm excited for new beginnings. It's been such a focus on resetting, having a good break. The break, which even though is the shortest one we've ever had, I would say it was just what was needed. Yeah, I think just undoing like learning new patterns and undoing patterns and removing things that don't serve me or bring the right energy and making sure you're just showing up in the right way. So I'm excited about the first test. Obviously, today you don't get to push it, but it feels cool at Ferrano. But obviously next week we will start to try and stretch the legs and see what this new generation of car is going to bring to all of us. And then it's kind of like unknowing what other people have, what cars, what tricks that other people may or may not have and what concepts, all those sorts of things. And then I think for us, just keeping our heads down and focusing on our job. Well, Fred, the wait for 2026 is over. The car was just behind you. How did it go and what the emotions when you saw it peel out of the garage? It's always an emotional milestone into the season, the launch. Probably even a bit more this season because it's a completely new project starting from scratch with a very short winter break. I think it was full of emotion today for everybody and I'm pretty happy because it went well. But it's also the start of a new journey. The season is in front of us and we have to be focused on this. But yeah, I think it was quite emotional for everyone. So over that very short winter, what did you find were the greatest challenges with these new regulations? And what are you most proud of the way the team have delivered this car that you've got? Proud that we will see later on, but the main challenge probably is to start from scratch on every single pillar, that it's a completely new area for the engine, for the chassis, for the fuel, that every single topic is a new adventure. But it's good. I think it's a good feeling. It's a good feeling to have the team working together to try to deliver the best car possible. And this also is important because we have to keep in mind that you see only the visible part of the iceberg on track and we have to say thank you also to the guys at the factory. They did a fantastic job the last weeks, months. Honestly, they worked night and day the last weeks and this I'm very, very proud and happy for them to have the car on track today without any problem. It was a good milestone. And the car's already on its way now to Barcelona next week for the shakedown. What's the plan, what's the programme for that shakedown and for the tests that are coming up? The programme that we are supposed to start on Tuesday, but then we'll have to fine tune with the weather forecast. But so far that will start on Tuesday.