Lewis Hamilton gave a clear guide to the details within Ferrari that have shifted since last season, helping him become more comfortable with the team for the 2026 Formula One season.
It’s no secret that 2025 was not the maiden season Hamilton had expected in red. Spending most weekends dejected and struggling to come up with explanations as to where the performance had gone, especially as he found himself consistently beaten by his teammate, Charles Leclerc.
However, the new regulations have been a shining light for the Briton, allowing him to say goodbye to the ground-effect cars he never found his footing with and take a massive step forward with Ferrari.
He told the media, including Motorsport Week, that the role he played in the car’s direction and development this year has been a game-changer for him.
“One being the car.” He said when asked what’s helped him be more comfortable this year, “I’ve really helped develop it.
“I’ve developed those items on the car because I just mentioned that at a hospital last year, and had it made for the sim, and tested it, and we bought that this year. I finally got the brakes that I wanted, which was a big push.”
A shift in the team
Beyond the car itself, Hamilton noted personnel changes within his team and the team as a whole, which have shifted the atmosphere at the Maranello-based team.
One of the more outward changes visible to fans was the swap of his race engineer. With Riccardo Adami, Carlos Sainz’s race engineer, moving to another role and Kimi Raikkonen’s former engineer, Carlo Santi, taking over.
Interestingly, Hamilton also spoke about how he’s tried to reconnect with the higher-ups in Ferrari. Last season, it was clear there were fractures in that relationship after Ferrari’s largest shareholder, John Elkann, publicly said that Charles Leclerc and Hamilton should ‘talk less and focus on driving’.
“There have been engineering changes in my personal team, readjusting some of my team, how they connect with the team, realigning myself with the high powers within the organisation,” he revealed.
“So that we’re making sure we’re on the same track and we’re allies rather than foes, and that’s just now in a much, much better place. That’s enabling us now to just move forward.”
The seven-time World Champion also took partial blame, saying he recognised why it was harder for him to implement changes last year, especially when the results weren’t coming.
“Each weekend was a really difficult weekend last year. So, when you’re having that, people tend to listen to you less. Rather than listen to you when you’re getting these results. That’s taken a long time to build that trust, and I think that trust is now there, and things can get done.
“It’s a two-way street, actually, you know. We’re really pushing each other along, and the collaboration is finally there. I think that’s the most important thing.”
2026 title hopes
Hamilton’s turnaround hasn’t been insignificant. Last year, he ended the season sixth in the championship standings. Nearly 100 points behind Leclerc.
This year, he became the most recent driver to take a win in red and sits third in the standings. Close behind George Russell and well within reach of Kimi Antonelli, who leads.
He’s downplayed his hopes for the season. The Brit took pole for the British Grand Prix Sprint Race and has continued to close in on the Mercedes. It is clear that Hamilton’s hopes of an eight-title season may not be over yet.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton stuns Silverstone with last gap F1 Sprint pole
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