Lewis Hamilton posts P4 in Bahrain F1 testing finale as Ferrari chases reliability fixes.

Lewis Hamilton climbs from his Ferrari during Bahrain preseason testing.

Lewis Hamilton placed fourth-fastest across Formula 1's final 2026 preseason test day in Bahrain on Sunday. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets with a 1:32.803 lap, followed by McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Hamilton clocked 1:33.408, six-tenths adrift after evening quali sims marred by repeated errors.

Ferrari cut Hamilton's morning session to five laps due to a recurring gearbox issue. The problem sidelined Charles Leclerc on Saturday and persisted into Day 3 despite overnight fixes. Hamilton managed 78 laps total, focusing on long runs after lunch while adapting to the SF-26's twitchy front end.

Team principal Fred Vasseur called the test "encouraging on pace but frustrating on mileage." Ferrari completed fewer laps than rivals Mercedes (156), McLaren (164) and Red Bull (139). Haas logged 195 laps Thursday as Ferrari's engine customer.

Hamilton praised the car's straightline speed but flagged tyre warm-up struggles. He swapped race engineers again this week, confirming a second change before Imola. The seven-time champion eyes his first Ferrari podium since joining last year.

Australia launches the calendar March 15 at Albert Park. Ferrari finished fourth in 2025 constructors behind McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. Hamilton sits sixth in early standings with 49 points from five races