P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton has shared that he will enjoy very little “recovery” time with his 2026 F1 season preparations beginning before Christmas.
Lewis Hamilton has already started preparing for the 2026 season by Christmas due to the shortest winter break in F1 history. The changes in regulations are causing teams to have extra pre-season and private tests at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the end of January, reducing the off-season period significantly. With the season now stretching into December, there are only 47 days between the post-season test and the start of the private test in Spain. Hamilton mentioned that the workload for 2026 has already begun, with teams like Ferrari shifting focus to the new season early, impacting their current performance on the track. Despite the hectic schedule, Hamilton will be training for the upcoming season before Christmas, as the break this year is the shortest ever in F1 history, leaving little time for recovery.
