Lewis Hamilton has confirmed a turnaround for his 2026 season with Ferrari, after a muted 2025 debut with a car assembled before his arrival.
Early Friction Over 2025 Development
Ferrari halted 2025 car work as early as April, prioritising 2026 upgrades. The result was a 2025 chassis that, while evolutionary to the 2024 model, relied on a front‑suspension tweak that could have benefited from deeper testing. Hamilton entered the garage with limited input on a machine that had already been constructed; the seven‑time champion had to adapt without influencing design decisions.
Team cohesion faltered during that first year. Riccardo Adami stepped back as Hamilton’s race engineer, while Carlo Santi took the role.
Santi, dubbed Hamilton’s “Italian Bono,” follows long‑time Mercedes mentor Pete Bonnington. The pair reportedly formed a solid rapport, a factor Hamilton said helped align his personal and team dynamics.
Redefined Relationships and New Processes
Hamilton framed the 2026 campaign as a “good first part” of the season, praising the harmony inside the pit and with the racing squad. He noted that his feedback was now being heard; development guidance that was previously blocked has begun to shape new 2026 concepts.
He praised Ferrari’s program for rallying innovation, citing the rotating “Macarena” wing that reverts to a low‑drag mode under straight‑line active aerodynamics. The team also experimented with exhaust‑mounted winglets – features that have since appeared across the 2026 grid.
Engineering Pushes for Competitive Edge
Despite progress, Hamilton emphasized that Ferrari still seeks greater downforce to consistently challenge Mercedes. The club has secured two ADUO upgrades, but power‑train modifications face longer lead times.
Barcelona introduced a fresh aero package, delivering an updated front wing and new floor components – a step toward improving lap times.
Leadership and Forward Vision
Hamilton stressed the passion he sees in the Ferraris: “The factory has never displayed love for a team like this before. It’s a matter of steering that passion in the right direction.”
He highlighted his role in driving Ferrari to become the template for the rest of the field. “Ferrari should be the innovators that the other teams emulate, and that’s the story I’m helping to write,” he said.
2026 Outlook
With the 2026 design culture now more receptive to Hamilton’s insights, the Frenchman feels empowered to retrieve his peak performance level. Ferrari’s strategic timing—designing the 2026 car early and introducing incremental upgrades—positions the team to grow stronger as the season unfolds, setting the stage for a direct showdown with Mercedes.
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