Ferrari have addressed speculation surrounding the reliability of their car after Lewis Hamilton took the team's newly unveiled SF-26 for its maiden outing at the Fiorano circuit this morning, marking the Scuderia's entry into the 2026 Formula 1 era.
The seven-time world champion was given the honour of conducting the initial shakedown just moments after the car was publicly revealed.
Substantial crowds of Tifosi gathered around the test facility's perimeter to witness both the launch and the first laps of Ferrari's challenger for the new power unit regulations.
Ferrari becomes the sixth constructor to complete track running with their 2026 machinery, following Audi, Cadillac, Racing Bulls, Mercedes and Alpine in recent weeks.
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Video footage quickly circulated on social media showing Hamilton's car coming to a halt on the short straight near the garage area.
Widespread speculation has since circulated claiming that reliability issues had already struck the Italian team's new machine.
One clip captured the SF-26 stationary on track, moving forward just a few metres before stopping again.
Another showed the car in an unusual position near the pit entry.
Ferrari has addressed speculation surrounding the reliability of their car
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Ferrari moved swiftly to address the online reaction.
A team spokesman confirmed to The Race that there were "no issues" with the car and that the stoppage had been entirely intentional.
The explanation lay in the strict regulations governing demonstration events, which limit the track to a maximum of 15 kilometres.
At Fiorano, this distance equates to approximately five laps of the circuit, meaning Ferrari had to carefully manage how much ground was covered during the session.
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Lewis Hamilton took the team's newly unveiled SF-26 for its maiden outing at the Fiorano circuit this morning
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Hamilton completed roughly two and a half laps during his stint, which included one lap following a camera car and another independent lap, concluding with a practice start.
The car was then recovered to the garage.
His teammate Charles Leclerc then took over for a similar distance, with both drivers' running carefully choreographed to remain within the permitted limit.
Hamilton's debut campaign with Ferrari in 2025 proved deeply disappointing, with the British driver failing to reach the podium across all 24 grands prix — a first in his illustrious career.
Ferrari becomes the sixth constructor to complete track running with their 2026 machinery
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The 41-year-old was comprehensively outpaced by Leclerc throughout the season, though his Monegasque teammate also endured a winless year for the fourth time during his seven seasons with the Scuderia.
Ferrari's struggles saw them tumble to fourth in the constructors' standings without a single victory.
It was their worst performance in recent memory.
The sweeping regulation changes for 2026 represent a potential reset, with the team hoping their early abandonment of 2025 development will pay dividends.
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