Lewis Hamilton had a scare on Thursday during Formula 1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The seven-time world champion climbed into his new Ferrari SF-26 for the second time this week, continuing to adapt to life at the Scuderia.
However, right at the start of the session, he lost control of the car for a moment, which was captured on video and circulated on X.
Hamilton spins!
During the incident, Hamilton spun his SF-26 on a straight section of the circuit at relatively low speed. The British driver reacted quickly, regaining control of the car almost immediately and managing to keep it on the track.
As there was no contact with the barriers and no damage was reported, the session continued uninterrupted. Ferrari engineers also appeared unconcerned, allowing Hamilton to resume his run without any visible issues.
Although the spin was minor, it served as a reminder that pre-season testing can still be unpredictable, particularly when drivers are pushing the limits of brand-new machinery and learning how it behaves.
Busy morning session in Barcelona
Thursday morning’s session at Barcelona featured several high-profile drivers on the track. According to SoyMotor, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, Cadillac returnee Sergio Pérez, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson and McLaren star Oscar Piastri were all on the track at the same time as Hamilton.
Both Hamilton and Antonelli reportedly completed a significant number of laps, making the most of the available track time. Ferrari’s focus remained on data collection and understanding the SF-26’s balance rather than achieving fast lap times. Despite an early spin, Hamilton’s programme was unaffected and the team continued working through the planned run schedule.
Red Bull delays due to missing parts
While several teams enjoyed productive sessions, Red Bull faced complications that limited their track time. Media reports suggest that Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar were unable to participate in the fourth day of testing. The team is reportedly waiting for spare parts to be flown in from Great Britain following Hadjar’s accident earlier in the week.
Consequently, Red Bull may not resume full testing until Friday, which could put them slightly behind schedule compared to some of their rivals. In such a tightly packed pre-season, any lost mileage could prove costly in terms of refining setups ahead of the season opener.
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Despite the wet conditions, there was positive feedback
Hamilton’s Barcelona programme began earlier in the week under challenging circumstances. On Tuesday afternoon, his first outing in the SF-26 largely took place in wet conditions, which limited the amount of representative running that Ferrari could complete.
“It was very challenging; it started raining at 10:30 a.m.,” Hamilton explained after the session. “Charles had a few dry laps, but by the afternoon everything was wet.” Nevertheless, the Briton remained positive, emphasising the value of the experience. He described the day as “very productive”, particularly in terms of understanding tyre behaviour in difficult conditions.
Overall, Hamilton struck an optimistic tone after the opening tests. ‘I think we completed around 120 laps – considering the wet conditions and the red flag, that’s a solid result,’ he concluded. Despite the brief scare on Thursday, Ferrari and Hamilton appear to be making good progress as they prepare for the 2026 season.
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RB22 in the hands of Verstappoen: Day 2 Barcelona 2026
Formula One’s biggest technical regulation change in history for 2026 had many amongst the teams, the FIA and FOM concerned they would be perceived a failure at early testing. The first of the pre-season tests – although for contractual reasons with Bahrain its called a shakedown – is now into day two at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Just 39 days after Lando Norris claimed his maiden F1 championship the teams are ready to go with all new cars and powertrains. Yet there have been casualties along the way, with Williams not in attendance for a variety of technical reasons. The first being thy have repeatedly failed the FIA’s crash test for the nose cone together with the fact the car is vastly overweight.
McLaren too have delayed the start to testing their car and Aston Martin have indicated the most they will achieve is some running on the final two days this week. However, seven teams and all the power unit manufacturers with the exception of Honda, were on track as the lights went green in Montmelo on Monday morning. All eyes were on Red Bull who are the first ever F1 customer team to build their own power train, with many expecting them to fall at the first hurdle.
Russell impressed with Red Bull
Yet the sleek RB22 in the hands of Max Verstappen’s new team mate Isack Hadjar, was impressive, even drawing attention from rival drivers and teams. When asked about how the day had gone for Mercedes, George Russell chose to name check the team’s arch rivals Red Bull along with Ferrari as having stand out days.
“For sure we’re very pleased with the day, but I was pretty impressed with a number of other teams, to be honest,” he said.“You see the Red Bull-powered teams, [with] a brand-new power unit, and they had a really smooth day with two cars. Haas did the most laps of everyone with a Ferrari engine.
“So it’s not quite 2014 vibes of half the grid is breaking down and having loads of issues. Formula 1 has evolved so much since then and the level is just so high, from every single aspect. It was pretty impressive to see all the teams on the whole having a lot of laps under their belts on day one,” the Mercedes’ driver concluded.
Whilst the day and the week was supposed to be a black out to the media, the vantage points around the circuit were filled with fans and long lenses alike. Security teams were sent to gently move folk along, although this merely saw them pop up at another viewpoint around the circuit…CONTINUE READING THIS STORY
Alex Stanton is a Formula 1 journalist at TJ13 with a focus on the financial and commercial dynamics that underpin the sport. Alex contributes reporting and analysis on team ownership structures, sponsorship trends, and the evolving business model of Formula 1.
At TJ13, Alex covers topics including manufacturer investment, cost cap implications, and the strategic direction of teams navigating an increasingly complex financial environment. Alex’s work often examines how commercial decisions translate into on-track performance and long-term competitiveness.
With a strong interest in the intersection of sport and business, Alex provides context around Formula 1’s global growth, including media rights, expansion markets, and manufacturer influence.
Alex’s reporting aims to explain the financial realities behind headline stories, helping readers understand how money, governance, and strategy shape the competitive order in Formula 1.
