Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are hitting the track for Ferrari at Mugello this week. In the break between the British and Belgian Grands Prix, they’re trialling a new rear suspension.
Ferrari will unleash the new design at Spa as they chase at least one victory in the second half of the season. The Scuderia have only managed four podiums in the first half of the season.
With the 2026 regulation overhaul looming, development on this year’s cars is coming to an end. Thus, if this upgrade doesn’t deliver, Ferrari’s season may be a complete write-off.
Hamilton took pole position and won the Sprint race in China, the second round of the season. But a double disqualification in the Grand Prix exposed fundamental weaknesses in their car, weaknesses they finally hope to address with their update.
Lewis Hamilton never used to like testing in Formula 1
As reported by Motorsport.com, Ferrari are carrying out a 200km test with their 2025 car in Tuscany on Wednesday. This is under the guise of a ‘filming day’, as permitted within the regulations.
Ferrari are encouraged by the simulation data they’ve seen from the new suspension, but they want to confirm that on the race track. The involvement of both drivers is notable for two reasons.
One, it confirms the significance of the test. And two, it shows that Hamilton’s stance on testing has softened.
The seven-time world champion has repeatedly said during his career that he finds test days boring. One can see how they might be monotonous for F1 drivers – racing, rather than data-gathering, is what excites them.
While he was still a Mercedes driver, Hamilton even revealed, via RaceFans, that he’d once feigned illness to skip a test session. But Ferrari have clearly convinced him that Wednesday’s running at Mugello is an important chance to offer feedback and adapt to the car’s new handling characteristics.
Ferrari’s new rear suspension will be a ‘quantum leap’ towards McLaren
Leclerc put himself forward for a 2026 Pirelli test recently, so he may still be more enthusiastic than Hamilton. But it’s hard to question the 40-year-old’s commitment.
Hamilton used up his entire TPC allocation for the year before he’d even made his official Ferrari debut. He still got off to a difficult start, but he might have been even further behind without this preparation.
The 105-time Grand Prix winner is still some way short of top form, but his level has improved in recent races. Only championship leader Oscar Piastri (11) is on a longer streak of top-six finishes than Hamilton (six).
Ferrari expect to take a ‘quantum leap’ with their Spa upgrade. They could use the same suspension concept for their 2026 car if they are satisfied with the results.