Lewis Hamilton kickstarts second day of Pirelli wet tyre test in Fiorano

Lewis Hamilton’s schedule remains relentless, even during what was meant to be Bahrain Grand Prix race week.

The seven-time world champion is back at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit for a second consecutive day of running, as the Scuderia supports Pirelli in testing next year’s wet-weather tyres.

Full focus on wet tyre development

Hamilton completed the entirety of Thursday’s programme, racking up an impressive 142 laps, equivalent to 423 kilometres of running. The focus was firmly on evaluating various full-wet tyre configurations as Pirelli gathers crucial data for its 2026 specifications.

Conditions were carefully controlled. Fiorano’s irrigation system was used to artificially water the track, ensuring consistent wet-weather conditions despite ambient temperatures reaching 21°C. The circuit’s system maintained a damp surface throughout the day, allowing for uninterrupted evaluation work.

Toward the end of the session, Hamilton also sampled different intermediate tyre variants, expanding the scope of the data collection.

His fastest lap of the day was a 1:01.031, though outright pace was secondary to the broader objective of tyre assessment.

Back behind the wheel on day two

The 41-year-old returned to the cockpit on Friday to continue the programme, once again dedicating his time to wet-weather development work. While the Formula 1 paddock’s attention would ordinarily be centred on a Bahrain race weekend, Hamilton instead remains immersed in Ferrari’s technical preparations for the future.

The sustained mileage under controlled wet conditions highlights the scale and seriousness of the development effort, with Hamilton playing a central role in refining the next generation of Pirelli’s rain tyres.