The sight of Ferrari’s new 2026 Formula 1 car stopped on track during its shakedown at Fiorano on Friday inevitably sparked a huge reaction online.
Lewis Hamilton drove the SF-26 for its initial laps of the Ferrari test circuit shortly after it was publicly revealed.
The shakedown is not being broadcast by Ferrari - but Fiorano’s visibility from public roads and the intense support of the Tifosi meant the track perimeter has been swamped by fans and media.
So when Hamilton came to a stop on the short straight adjacent to the garage, pictures and videos quickly emerged.
One video showed Hamilton stopped on track, starting and travelling just a few metres, before stopping again.
Another showed the car stopped in a slightly odd position just before the pit entry, as though the car had suddenly come to a halt with Hamilton trying to move across to the pitlane.
However, these were different angles and moments from the same sequence. After a single installation lap, Hamilton completed a two-lap run, one behind a camera car and one separately. He finished that run with a practice start, then stopped on track and was recovered to the garage by the team.
A Ferrari spokesperson confirmed to The Race that it had “no issues” and the stoppage was needed because Ferrari is only using a ‘demonstration event’ to shake the car down and that limits it to just 15km of running.
This is different to a full filming day or ‘promotional event’ - which allows for 200km.
At Fiorano, 15km equates to five laps. With Charles Leclerc getting two laps in the car shortly, Ferrari had to be strict with how much distance was covered initially to avoid breaching the limit.
