Lewis Hamilton has promised fans that he is “not going anywhere” as he took a moment to reflect on 2026 pre-season testing, with the Ferrari driver admitting that he is excited for what he has predicted will be “one hell of a season”.
The Scuderia looked to have enjoyed a productive test during the second week in Bahrain, the squad achieving 324 laps as well as setting the fast lap of all courtesy of Charles Leclerc’s 1m 31.992s on Friday afternoon.
In a social media post after the completion of the second and final test before the season gets underway in Melbourne on March 6-8, Hamilton spoke of his gratitude for the work put in by the whole team to get the SF-26 out on track.
“That’s a wrap on testing,” the seven-time World Champion wrote. “It’s inspiring to watch a team pull out all the stops to build a car. It’s the most fascinating part of this job for me. Everything is built from scratch and designed and redesigned over and over.
“And then there are only a few of us who get to put that machine to the test. That feeling never gets old. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone in the team back at the factory for the hard work to get to this point!! I am truly grateful.”
Hamilton went on to speak about his excitement for the upcoming campaign, which will mark his sophomore season with Ferrari following his debut outing for the Italian outfit last year.
The Briton also reflected on how he has a “refreshed” mindset entering into 2026.
“I love this job so much and I love working with my team and driving for the fans,” he explained. “I’m incredibly lucky to be able to do what I do, and I’m excited for the season ahead.
“I’m re-set and refreshed. I’m not going anywhere, so stick with me. For a moment, I forgot who I was, but thanks to you and your support you’re not going to see that mindset again.
“I know what needs to be done. This is going to be one hell of a season. I’ve given everything to be here today. Let’s go team!!!”
/Winners%20&%20Losers%20header%20template%20(3).webp?ssl=1 "5 Winners and 3 Losers from the second pre-season test in Bahrain – who goes into 2026 on a high?")
/16x9%20single%20image.webp?ssl=1 "Charles Leclerc fastest on final day of Bahrain pre-season test ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen")
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-20T192341.430.webp?ssl=1 "Who was the fastest and who recorded the most laps at the second 2026 Bahrain pre-season test?")
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-21T102613.146.webp?ssl=1 "5 key questions that need answering after the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain")
