Seven-time Formula 1 Champion Lewis Hamilton seems to be already reveling in the new era of the sport with its new cars and power units.
There is no hiding that Hamilton did not enjoy the ground effect F1 cars after the beating he got in the early Mercedes ones due to porpoising.
Mercedes never got to understand them, and neither did Hamilton, who was beaten by George Russell and then by Charles Leclerc in the last year of those rules when he joined Ferrari.
The Briton was happy to move on and put the previous era behind him as he now looks to bounce back in his second year with Ferrari.
His SF-26 proved to be reliable, and while Hamilton set the fastest time over the course of the whole week in Barcelona, that should not be something to really make a fuss of, as Ferrari are known to do glory runs in pre-season testing.
However, there is no doubt that the Scuderia had a decent start, and that seems to be the same for Hamilton.
Reflecting on his test, he said: “The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive.
“It’s oversteery and snappy and sliding. It’s a little bit easier to catch, and I would definitely say more enjoyable.”
Work to do for Ferrari despite solid start
The new power units with 50/50 power delivery from the internal combustion engine and battery pack will present a challenge for teams to fine-tune and drivers to master. That also applies to the cars, which feature moveable aero.
Ferrari is no different, so Hamilton explained: “We definitely have work to do to improve, of course, like everybody does. But we’ve had great debriefs; everyone’s really on it.
“I really feel the winning mentality in every single person in the team, more than ever. So it’s a positive.
“We’re under no illusions; we know we’ve got work to do,” he went on. “Mercedes have done great running as well. I think Red Bull and Haas did some great running as well, so we don’t really know where we are.
“But I think it’s a solid first week, and we can really build from here. So there may be some big leaps that we need to take.
“Development’s going to be key, really just making sure we leave no stone unturned and we’re just really clear and concise with our communication and the decisions we take.
“It’s going to take all of us to be at our best. And I’m just seeing that everyone’s really coming with new energy this year, which is great,” Hamilton concluded. (Source: F1 TV)