Ferrari used the opening free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend to begin evaluating its latest upgrade package under real track conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Charles Leclerc took to the track with the updated Ferrari SF-26, featuring a revised floor, a new front wing and additional bodywork modifications designed to improve the car’s overall aerodynamic efficiency. It was a package from which Team Principal Frederic Vasseur is expecting significant gains as Ferrari continues its push to close the gap to the front-runners.
As part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie driver programme, Dino Beganovic replaced Lewis Hamilton for the FP1 session. The young Ferrari academy driver was tasked with an equally important role during the team’s evaluation programme.
Unlike Charles Leclerc’s car, Dino Beganovic’s SF-26 was fitted with the previous specification and did not feature the latest upgrades introduced by the Scuderia. This allowed Ferrari to carry out a direct comparison between the updated package and the baseline configuration during the first practice session.
The split programme provided Ferrari engineers with valuable data regarding the behaviour of both cars and helped the team begin assessing the effectiveness of the new developments under identical track conditions.
With Barcelona traditionally regarded as one of Formula 1’s most representative circuits from a technical standpoint, the information gathered during FP1 is expected to play a key role in determining whether Ferrari’s latest aerodynamic and chassis developments can deliver the performance improvements the team is targeting for the remainder of the 2026 season.
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