Samsung‘s One UI 8.5 is currently in the beta testing phase, and the beta program is live only for the Galaxy S25 series. Meanwhile, Samsung is also testing this major update on several Galaxy devices internally. Now, 3 more Samsung Galaxy devices have been added.
A reliable tipster, @Mohammad Khatri, has spotted the first One UI 8.5 testing build for the Korean variant of the Galaxy M33, Galaxy M06 5G, and Galaxy F06 5G. It shows that Samsung is preparing this major update for these devices.
First One UI 8.5 internal testing build for these devices:
Galaxy M33 5G – M336KKSUDHZB1
Galaxy M06 5G – M066BXXS4BZA1
Galaxy F06 5G – E066BXXS4BZA1
Image – Amazon
These new builds show that Samsung is moving forward with One UI 8.5 development regularly. In addition to these devices, several other Galaxy devices, including flagships, mid-rangers, and entry-level, are already testing this major update internally.
Samsung is continuously working on the One UI 8.5 Beta software as well. So far, the company has already released three beta updates for the Galaxy S25 series, with reports suggesting that another beta version may arrive soon. These beta updates help fix bugs and improve performance before the final version is released.
However, Samsung has already confirmed to release a stable One UI 8.5 update with the Galaxy S26 series launch. After that, more Samsung Galaxy devices will get this update. Stay tuned for more information.
Alex Marquez ended MotoGP’s Sepang pre-season test at the top on Thursday, as Yamaha returned to action after resolving its recent engine concerns.
Gresini rider Marquez set a best time of 1m56.402s on his factory-spec Ducati GP26, comfortably eclipsing Joan Mir’s Wednesday benchmark of 1m56.874s.
His effort was also just a fraction shy of the all-time Sepang record of 1m56.337s, set by Francesco Bagnaia en route to pole position in the 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix.
With Wednesday’s running heavily disrupted by rain, riders wasted little time heading out in the morning session, making the most of favourable track conditions to bank their soft-tyre time attacks early.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the first rider of the day to dip into the 1m56s, with the younger Marquez going quicker shortly afterwards.
With attention soon switching to sprint simulations as the temperature soared at Sepang, Marquez’s lap time remained unbeaten at the end of the day, with the 29-year-old also setting the fastest average time of any rider over long runs.
Ducati looked set to lock out the top four positions on the final day, but Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi spoiled the party for the Borgo Panigale marque with just 15 minutes remaining in the session, jumping to second place with a 1m56.526s.
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
This pushed VR46’s Di Giannantonio to third place, ahead of the factory Ducatis of Marc Marquez and Bagnaia.
Reigning world champion Marquez suffered an early crash at Turn 1 but rebounded to set a time of 1m56.789s, just four thousandths of a second slower than Di Giannantonio. The Spaniard completed his time attack much later in the morning session, when the track was much hotter and hence less favourable for peak performance.
Bagnaia carried on his improved form into Thursday to finish fifth, with VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli ending up just behind in sixth on last year’s GP25.
Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez was next up in seventh, while Pedro Acosta led KTM’s charge in eighth place. Mir was ninth aboard the fastest Honda, while Tech3’s Enea Bastianini rounded out the top 10.
Yamaha returned to action after completing an investigation into the engine issue that caused Fabio Quartararo to stop on track on Tuesday. The Iwata-based brand had made a precautionary decision to skip Wednesday’s running as it worked to ensure its new V4 engine was safe for running.
With Quartararo absent due to an injury he picked up in a crash on Tuesday, his team-mate Rins led the Japanese manufacturer’s charge, finishing 12th and more than a second off the pace.
Pramac rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu was 18th on the new M1, one position ahead of the only other newcomer on the grid, LCR’s Diogo Moreira.
Aston Martin's Adrian Newey doesn't feel his eye-catching AMR26 is "aggressive", as his first design for his new Formula 1 team caught the eye of its rivals in Barcelona.
After a delayed rollout, the AMR26 left the garage on the penultimate day of the Barcelona shakedown sporting a unique engine cover and sidepod design as well as a radical suspension geometry.
Mercedes' George Russell called Newey's creation “spectacular”, and said that Aston sported the “most standout car design”. Williams team boss James Vowles was also impressed by what the design guru had done.
"It's really impressive," Vowles said. "Adrian is just a creative designer. And it's really impressive what he's done with wishbones in places that I don't think they should be. But he's done them.
"You'll see it in our front wishbone. It's slightly different, but where Adrian's gone is Adrian. Very impressive, very creative, very extreme. I wouldn't want to be the designer for that one. Let's put it that way."
Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team
Adrian Newey, Managing Technical Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team
But in a Q&A on Aston Martin's website, Newey doesn't feel he has done anything other than interpret the radically different 2026 regulations the way he feels is best.
"We took a really close look at the regulations and what we believe we want to achieve from a flow field perspective to suit them, and from there started to evolve a geometry that attempts to create the flow fields that we want. It's very much a holistic approach," he said.
"I never look at any of my designs as aggressive. I just get on with things and pursue what we feel is the right direction.
"The direction we've taken could certainly be interpreted as aggressive. It's got quite a few features that haven't necessarily been done before. Does that make it aggressive? Possibly. Possibly not."
But Newey says the jury is still out on whether his team's interpretation has been the right one, as he admitted that Aston Martin's four-month delay in getting its new windtunnel online meant the Silverstone squad's 2026 car development had to follow a "compressed timescale".
"In truth, with a completely new set of regulations, nobody is ever sure what the right philosophy is," he cautioned.
"We certainly aren't sure what the best interpretation of the regulations is and therefore the best philosophy to follow.
"Because of our compressed timescale, we decided on a particular direction and that's the one we've pursued. Whether that proves to be the right one or not, only time will tell. But you have to choose your path and get on with it."
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Detailing some of his design choices, he added: "It starts with the overall packaging of the car: where is the car carried over the wheelbase, where are the main masses carried. Then it's worked through to the front and rear suspension – the front and rear suspension both have their own very important part to play in that manipulation of the flow field.
"You've got the front wing and the nose shape, which are somewhat different this year. You keep moving through to the sidepods, and the treatment around the rear of the car, which is certainly different to what we've done previously.
"The car is tightly packaged. Much more tightly packaged than I believe has been attempted at Aston Martin before. This has required a very close working relationship with the mechanical designers to achieve the aerodynamic shapes we wanted.
"But I have to say that all the mechanical designers here have really embraced that philosophy. It hasn't made their life easy, quite the opposite, but they've really risen to the challenge."
Samsung is gradually moving forward with the development of One UI 8.5. The version is already in the public beta stage, and Samsung has also started internal testing for several Galaxy devices. Now, a newly launched smartphone has joined this testing list.
According to a reliable tipster, @Mohammed Khatri, Samsung has begun testing One UI 8.5 for the Galaxy A07 5G. The first test build spotted for this device carries the version number A076BXXU2BZA6. This shows that Samsung has started preparing a major software update for the phone.
Even though the Galaxy A07 5G was launched recently, it has now appeared on Samsung’s internal testing servers. The device has been spotted being tested in multiple regions, including India, Thailand, Vietnam, and a few other countries. This suggests that Samsung plans to bring One UI 8.5 to the Galaxy A07 5G in the near future.
Source – Samsung Malaysia
However, the overall development of One UI 8.5 seems to be moving slowly. Samsung appears to be taking more time to test the update properly before expanding it to more devices. This approach may help ensure better performance and fewer issues when the update is finally released.
Apart from the Galaxy A07 5G, several other Galaxy smartphones have already been spotted on Samsung’s testing platform. This growing list shows that Samsung is actively working on the update and preparing for a wider rollout.
Samsung has already confirmed that the stable version of One UI 8.5 will launch with the Galaxy S26 series, which is expected to arrive later this month. After that, the update is likely to reach more Galaxy devices gradually. More details are expected soon as development continues.
Fabio Quartararo will sit out the remainder of MotoGP’s Sepang pre-season test after breaking a finger in a crash on Tuesday.
Just an hour into the start of collective testing in Malaysia, Quartararo went down at Turn 5 on his V4-powered Yamaha M1 and had to be taken to the medical centre for checks.
Although he was initially released with only arm soreness and even returned to the track in the afternoon, the Frenchman later revealed he had fractured the middle finger on his right hand.
The 26-year-old will skip the final two days of the Sepang test to return home and begin his recovery.
“The arm is a bit sore, but the finger is broken, so we decided to stop the next two days of tests. I think it's the best,” he said during the official MotoGP feed. “Of course, if it was a race weekend, I could follow, but there is no sense to make two more days.”
Speaking to media including Motorsport.com, he added: “This one is pretty broken, so we'll do a check-up tomorrow or the day after tomorrow in Barcelona.
“I lost the front pretty early, so pretty fast. The impact was big, but then it was the amount of laps I did in the gravel. I was beaten. I didn't get knocked out, but luckily it's just a few things.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
It remains unclear whether Quartararo will require surgery or how long he will be sidelined, but the injury will inevitably disrupt his preparations for the new season.
However, he had already logged important mileage on the new-for-2026 M1 during last week’s Sepang shakedown. Yamaha’s Group D concession status allowed its race riders additional track time compared to its rivals.
“We already tested everything that we had to test. Of course, two days more would have been great for electronics and mapping, but I think we did more than enough. So I prefer to recover and be ready for the real [thing],” he said.
Despite breaking his finger on Tuesday morning, Quartararo managed to complete 14 laps at Sepang in the afternoon session, setting a best time of 1m57.869s to end up ninth. He was the fastest Yamaha rider in the field, five spots ahead of Jack Miller on the Pramac Yamaha.
It’s a demonstration of the merciless nature of Formula 1 that Williams, statistically one of the most successful teams of all time in terms of championships won, has been bumping along the bottom for more than two decades and narrowly avoided financial extinction at the turn of the decade.
Williams last claimed the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 1997 and ceased to be in the mix for regular grand prix victories in 2004. It last won a race in 2012, a thrilling outlier for Pastor Maldonado in Spain.
The team’s reliance on drivers who brought a budget rather than great talent was characteristic of its decline, and Williams became a relic of the era when teams were owned and run by the individuals whose name was above the factory door. It nearly followed the likes of Tyrrell and Colin Chapman’s Lotus into oblivion.
There have been more mis-steps under the ownership of the Dorilton Capital investment fund but, since the appointment of former Mercedes strategist James Vowles as team principal, the direction of travel (to employ a frequently used Vowles-ism) has been towards improvement. The team finished fifth in the constructors’ championship last season, its highest since 2017.
As Williams holds its necessarily low-key 2026 season launch on Tuesday, having missed last week’s ‘shakedown’ in Barcelona, let’s look at its prospects for the season to come.
Williams Barcelona livery
Williams Barcelona livery
What’s new at Williams?
In terms of frontline personnel, Williams enjoys continuity in terms of its technical team, which is maturing after a recruitment drive in 2023-24. The FW48 will be the first Williams with ex-Alpine technical director Matt Harman fulfilling that role after his promotion from design director last year, but the main focus since that influx of new staff has been to bring the factory’s antediluvian facilities up to modern standards after years of underinvestment.
During a visit to the team’s Grove home in early January, Motorsport.com saw a great deal of new machinery, particularly in the area devoted to rapid prototyping. The team has also been overhauling its production and quality-control systems.
What’s the biggest challenge to Williams?
Having to cancel its presence at the Barcelona ‘shakedown week’ was both an embarrassment and a setback for the team. Last year, it made a point of being the first to take to the track with its new car, the purpose being to signal a clean break with the issues of its recent past.
It’s understood that while the monocoque had passed its mandatory crash tests, the nose cone did not. This has prompted a wave of speculation that the FW48 is overweight – particularly in the areas that then had to be strengthened to pass the crash tests. Vowles was noticeably evasive on that subject in an online ‘round table’ interview last week.
The fact is that it is extremely difficult to engineer a modern F1 car to the minimum weight limit, as evinced by that figure only being reduced by 30kg this season despite the cars and their wheels being narrower.
Missing the shakedown means it will have to spend time in the Bahrain tests previously earmarked for performance work on running through basic operational checks that rivals will have completed in Barcelona. Obviously, there were varying degrees of success in that regard; while both Mercedes drivers completed race simulations as well as plenty of laps, others such as Audi and Cadillac had a more fraught time.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
What’s the strongest asset for Williams?
When the hybrid engine formula was first introduced in 2014, Williams enjoyed a brief resurgence by dint of having the Mercedes power unit – by far the most competitive. That advantage faded with convergence and as others shifted to Mercedes power.
Though it’s unlikely Mercedes will enjoy an advantage of similar magnitude under the latest set of engine regulations, well-placed rumours over several months have suggested the new Merc power unit is very strong. In theory, its reliable showing through the Barcelona shakedown mitigates some of the disadvantage Williams faces, having missed that track time – but running a power unit in a car designed hand-in-glove with the chassis is a different matter from running as an engine customer.
What Williams certainly enjoys is a highly competitive driver line-up. Carlos Sainz is smart, fast, and a proven GP winner, while Alex Albon has shown similar levels of pace.
What’s the goal in F1 2026 for Williams?
Much as it would love for this to be another 1992, when it turned up with a car more than a second a lap faster than its competitors, Williams knows it’s starting this season on the back foot already. What it doesn’t need is for the delay in car completion to compound into lack of running during the tests.
Hitting the ground running in Bahrain would be its ideal scenario in the short term; in the further future, being in the mix for regular points to build on last season’s fifth place would be a bonus.
Esteban Ocon believes Mercedes might be favourite for the 2026 Formula 1 season, while Audi is expected to struggle alongside Cadillac at the back.
Mercedes impressed in the five-day, behind-closed-doors shakedown at Barcelona. The new Silver Arrow completed 500 laps (according to unofficial data) in just three days, with decent pace relative to the competition, and therefore is the first team that comes to mind for the 29-year-old Haas driver.
“I think it’s a bit early to talk about the pecking order, but we’ve seen that Mercedes was very fast over the whole test,” Ocon said.
“We’ve also seen that the Ferrari was in a very good position, the Red Bull was doing well, the McLaren was in the mix too.
“For now, that’s what Barcelona told us; it will be tighter in the group behind – VCARB, Alpine and ourselves – and a little step behind, for now, Audi and Cadillac.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
“It’s a bit early to talk about it, we’ll need to see in Bahrain. But for now, that’s what we think is happening.”
Cadillac is a brand-new team, so was always expected to struggle somewhat with its first, Ferrari-powered challenger. Audi, formerly known as Sauber, is a new power unit manufacturer and was hampered by a number of technical issues at the Catalan track – one of which was identified as a hydraulic leak.
Logically, Ocon mentioned neither Aston Martin, which ran for just over one day, nor Williams, which skipped the Barcelona test altogether.
Despite teething problems on some cars, reliability was much better than feared, which surprised the Frenchman – especially with Haas completing more laps than anyone bar Mercedes and Ferrari. That was despite shaking the new VF-26 down at Fiorano less than two days before the Barcelona test got under way.
“No, definitely not, I was not expecting that,” he added. “I think it was an awesome job, you know, by the whole team.
“First of all, driving in Fiorano [until Saturday evening] and then putting the car down on Monday, to drive at 9am in the morning – I think we exited at like 9:15am, but the car was ready at 9. That was just a crazy effort.
Esteban Ocon, Haas
Esteban Ocon, Haas
“I never thought that would have been possible. I thought there would have been some problem on the motorway along the way, that there would be some traffic or whatever, and the car would be late. But, yeah, we were ready at 9am and we did 150-whatever laps [that day]. It was crazy.
“No, I was not expecting that, that it went so smoothly, but it's good, it's very good, because it means that the reliability so far, we have it.
“Day two was a little bit more difficult on Ollie's side, but there are easy things to fix. So we should be on point on that side. And now the next thing, obviously, is to make the car fast, because it's reliable – it's good – but it needs to be fast.”
The Mercedes Formula 1 team will host a 2026 launch event today, Monday 2 February, after unveiling the livery of the W17 on Thursday 22 January on social media. Team principal Toto Wolff will be joined by drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and others, to kick off the Brackley outfit's season.
This comes ahead of Bahrain testing on 11-13 February and 18-20 February. The first race will be the Australian Grand Prix on 6-8 March.
Here is everything you need to know to watch the Mercedes 2026 launch event live.
When is the Mercedes 2026 F1 launch event?
Monday 2 February
Local time: 11:30 GMT CET: 12:30 PST: 03:30 EST: 06:30 JST: 20:30 CST (China): 19:30
How to watch the Mercedes 2026 F1 launch event
The Mercedes 2026 F1 launch event will be streamed on the team's website. There will also be behind-the-scenes footage released via the Brackley outfit's social media channels.
Who will be at the Mercedes 2026 F1 launch event?
Both drivers, George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, will be present at the launch event on 2 February alongside CEO and team principal Toto Wolff. There will be a panel discussion with the drivers, Wolff and reserve driver Fred Vesti.
Senior members of the technical leadership team are also set to be present to walk through the 2026 regulation changes, and there will be a deep dive into the new sustainable fuels with Mercedes' title and technical partner, PETRONAS, as well.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Mercedes private testing
Mercedes concluded its third and final day of private testing in Barcelona on Thursday 29 January.
"From a reliability perspective, it’s been a good week for us," Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said in a press release. "The car has enabled us to run the programme exactly as we wanted each of the three days and that’s what we hoped for coming here to Barcelona.
"It is a huge testament to the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth in bringing this car to life. We’ve also made good progress with some of the challenges we saw on days one and two and that is pleasing.
"That said, in Barcelona we have only really been focused on proving out the W17. In Bahrain, we will switch to set-up exploration which you can’t do here when it is so cold. That will give us a much better idea of the car’s relative abilities as we progress towards the 2026 season."
Russell added: "It’s been another decent day and overall, a positive shakedown for us here in Barcelona. The car feels nice to drive but more importantly, we’ve completed plenty of mileage and had no major issues. The minor issues we’ve come across we’ve been able to resolve which is the purpose of such running.
"The car is working well but we know that it is not about the car working well, it’s about how fast it can go. We don’t have any indication of that yet so we will have to wait until Bahrain until we get any indications of the relative pecking order. It’s very early days but we can be pleased with this initial foundation we have put in place.
"It’s an exciting time for our sport with possibly one of the most impactful regulations changes we’ve seen. It’s an honour to be representing Mercedes, particularly as we mark the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz’s invention of the motor car today. It’s quite apt to be behind-the-wheel of such an innovative machine today; I am excited to continue our journey towards the season and look ahead to going racing."
Antonelli also said at the end of testing: "Overall it has been a good shakedown for us. We’ve had our own issues but that hasn’t hindered our running too much. We’ve completed a lot of laps and today, I was able to drive for 90 more in the morning session. That is useful mileage to help build our learning about the W17 and gather plenty of data. We focused on the C3 tyre today but still on longer runs rather than anything performance related. We were able to understand a little more about how the car and the Power Unit reacts to a few different set-up options.
"I am now looking forward to having a few days to work with the team and digest everything from Barcelona. I am already looking forward to being back in the car in Bahrain for the first official test though and continuing the journey towards the start of the season. We will go there with a good understanding of the car and hopefully we can hit the ground running once again.
"It’s very cool to be part of the incredible history of Mercedes innovation, particularly as we put this new car through its paces on the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz registering the patent for the motor car. We are all proud to represent the three-pointed star and I cannot wait to see how we continue to innovate under these new regulations in the months and years ahead."
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar has explained what caused his crash on Tuesday at the Barcelona Formula 1 shakedown.
The new Red Bull driver suffered the only major accident of the shakedown week at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as he went off at the final corner late on Tuesday in wet conditions.
Red Bull duly returned to the track action on Friday, with Max Verstappen at the wheel all day as he completed 118 laps to push the team’s combined total to 303 laps for the shakedown.
Hadjar said his off was triggered by switching from wet to intermediate tyres on the rain-soaked track.
“It was nice to have a good day on Monday,” began Hadjar, who still notched up 158 laps before his crash. “It was very productive and we managed to do a lot more laps than we had expected, everything went pretty smooth and we had only minor issues. It was quite impressive considering it was our first day with our own power unit.
“Unfortunately, on Tuesday, just after switching from wets to inters, I lost control of the car in the final corner and I know the aftermath wasn’t ideal for the team.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
“The positive is that I have already started to understand and work on things in the car, there are still a lot of things to tweak of course, but it has been steady so far.
“These cars are different, very different, there is definitely a lot less load in general and it is a bit more predictable compared to the previous generation, they are a bit more straightforward. It is easier to play around with them and on the PU [power unit] side there are a lot more options for the driver to play with.
“I couldn’t have prepared for this season any better and I am hoping to come into the year strongly, but we are definitely not done with the work yet, I am learning every day."
Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has fully backed his new driver, who was promoted to the senior team at the expense of Yuki Tsunoda over the winter after just one season in F1, and is confident the French driver will still take a positive learning experience from the shakedown.
“We got more than a hundred laps in on Monday with Isack, which was a positive day and then Tuesday was a bit more difficult for us,” Mekies said. “Max ran in the morning and only got one long run in before the rain came, but we felt it would be good learning and interesting to run in the wet with this new generation of cars.
“We switched to Isack in the afternoon and there was no chance for dry tyres, but we got some good data in the wet. He went off at the end of the day, in what were very tricky conditions and with a lot of things still to get right on the car side.
“It was unfortunate, but these things happen and it came after a very positive day on Monday for him. The number of laps Isack completed and the development and learning he and the team gained cannot be underestimated.”
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal
Mekies also lauded Red Bull’s mechanics and engineers for getting the RB22 car back on track on Friday to complete its first test with its new Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains engine.
“It was an incredible job by the team trackside and back on campus to get RB22 back on track for Friday, there have been some long nights to ensure we got a third day of running,” he explained. “Max was in the car all day and he too got over 100 laps on the clock, giving insightful and beyond valuable feedback, as we continue to learn about this new car and PU.
“We have a lot to take away from this week and Max's experience and detail with engineering will help us shape the preparations for Bahrain and beyond. In terms of what we were expecting from the power unit in these first three days, I can only stress how proud we are of everyone back at base who delivered us this PU.
“Ford were here trackside to see everything come to life and it's a big thanks to them for their part and support in this special story.
“Of course, it is very early days and nothing is perfect but we have started to learn already and work as one team on this. It was a great satisfaction, but it doesn't change the magnitude of the journey ahead of us. We know we have to do our homework and take things step by step.”
Lewis Hamilton’s wealth of Formula 1 experience puts him in the best place to assess the new generation of cars – and he’s enjoying what he is driving so far.
The seven-time F1 world champion is entering the fifth major regulations overhaul of his career and has often been vocal about which era of car he has preferred to race with, especially after a gruelling experience in the ground-effect period of 2022-25.
Perhaps this gives fuel to Hamilton’s positivity over the new generation of F1 cars which made their official track debuts at the Barcelona shakedown this week, where the British driver was on hand to test out Ferrari’s SF-26 following a filming day run at Fiorano after its launch last week.
Hamilton, who unofficially set the fastest lap of the shakedown with a 1m16.348s and contributed to Ferrari’s total of 444 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with team-mate Charles Leclerc, says the new F1 cars are more enjoyable to drive as they are more forgiving than the knife-edge stability that was a hallmark of the ground-effect cars.
“The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive,” Hamilton told F1 after the Barcelona shakedown. “It's oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it's a little bit easier to catch. I would definitely say more enjoyable.
“But we definitely have work to do to improve, of course, like everybody does. But I think we've had great debriefs. Everyone's really on it. I really feel the winning mentality, like, in every single person in the team more than ever. So it's a positive.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Hamilton’s comments followed an upbeat assessment of Ferrari’s shakedown programme, which included the unusual plan to run in wet conditions on Tuesday. Red Bull was the only team to join Ferrari on track once rain arrived, but the British driver was eager to experience the SF-26 in the wet, having had the “very hard” learning curve of his first wet-weather action in a Ferrari being in last year’s Australian Grand Prix.
“It's been a really enjoyable week, honestly. I think a huge amount of work over the winter on my side, but then what the team has done over the winter to make changes going into the test [is positive],” he explained.
“A bit of an unusual start to the week when we tested and had a complete wet day, which was not something you would normally opt for, but last year I went to the first race and the Sunday of the actual race was the first time I had driven the Ferrari, and that was a very hard race. So it was good to have that experience and get that knowledge.
“And then just to see the mileage that we've been able to get the last couple of days, due to just so much great work from all the people back at the factory, which I'm really grateful for because having consistency, not having problems...
“Of course, there's always small things, but we didn't really have any downtime moments, while I'm sure perhaps they could potentially come up in the next weeks, but otherwise it's a really, really solid couple of days.
“And then in terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years.”
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