Lewis Hamilton has been in fine form for Ferrari this season, chasing Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the Formula 1 title as the second-half of 2026 kicks off with the Dutch Grand Prix.
Hamilton has been stellar for the iconic Italian marque under the latest regulations cycle.
11 rounds into the season, the Briton already has five podiums to his name, including a maiden Ferrari win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The 41-year-old’s performances in the SF-26 have been drastically different to his squalid form in 2025, in his debut season for the Maranello-based team.
After the Hungarian GP, Hamilton sits second in the drivers’ standings, 50 points adrift of the championship leader Antonelli.
Coming into the race weekend at Zandvoort, Hamilton reflected on his sophomore year at Ferrari, crediting his “collaboration” with the team as the key to his results on track.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think we made a lot of changes to the car. It’s not just one thing. It’s all pieces of the puzzle. We’ve moved a lot of things around. We’ve made a lot of changes, whether it’s in engineering, processes.
“The car is quite a lot different. It’s the new generation. We’ve made a lot of changes, and I think we’re in a better place for that. We’ve got a great collaboration now. It took a good year for us to get it in sync.”
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari have the “right formula” in F1 this season
Hamilton’s inability to adapt to the quirks and characteristics of the SF-25 stemmed from a lack of direct input in the development of the base concept.
But with the 2026 car, Hamilton revealed that his feedback had been crucial in shaping the inherent concept of the SF-26.
As a result, the seven-time World Champion is confident that Ferrari has all the right tools to challenge at the very front of the field.
In fact, he went so far as to call the team “innovators”, with both Red Bull and McLaren having taken interest in their ‘Macarena’ rear-wing concept, among other design innovations.
“We’ve been moving in the right direction collectively. The things that I’d asked for ended up getting done over time,” Hamilton added.
“I feel like we’ve had the results, so it shows that it works. I feel like we’ve got the right formula now. Now we’re doubling down on that, continuing to improve.
“Last year, one of the things I said was that Ferrari should be like the innovators. Everyone should be following them. This year, we’re innovators. People have been following our wing designs, the exhaust system.
“I just think we’re going in the right direction. I think we’re in a real sweet spot.”
Zandvoort has been a mixed bag for Hamilton. He crashed out of the 72-lap race in an agonising double DNF for Ferrari last season.
This weekend, however, the Briton will be hoping to get himself his sixth podium of the season at what will be the final Dutch GP.
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