After a difficult first season, Lewis Hamilton believes that the many changes demanded at Ferrari are finally paying off. The Briton now believes in the title.
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Lewis Hamilton is convinced: Ferrari now has the necessary ingredients to sustainably return to the top of Formula 1. After a difficult first adaptation season in Maranello, the seven-time world champion believes that the many changes undertaken since his arrival are finally starting to take effect.
Third in the championship with 183 points, tied with George Russell, Hamilton is still 59 points behind Kimi Antonelli. But the momentum is very different from that observed in 2025.
Ferrari is now capable of regularly fighting for podiums and victories. Hamilton has stood on the podium five times in the first twelve rounds and notably secured his first win under the Scuderia colors in Barcelona.
Hamilton pushed Ferrari to change deeply
Since his arrival in Maranello, Hamilton has never hidden his desire to modify certain working methods at Ferrari. These changes have affected both the technical organization and internal processes as well as the design of the car.
One of the most significant developments concerns the braking system. With the support of Frédéric Vasseur, Hamilton notably pushed Ferrari to adopt Carbon Industrie discs, which he knows perfectly after his twelve seasons spent at Mercedes.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc now use these discs within a braking system still mostly supplied by Brembo, a historic partner of the Scuderia.
But for Hamilton, Ferrari’s progress cannot be attributed to a single modification.
“It’s a combination of many things. We have made a lot of changes to the car, so it’s not just one element: it’s all the pieces of the puzzle,” he explains.
“It took us a good year to be in sync”
The Briton also emphasizes the transformations made outside the car.
“We moved a lot of things and made many changes, whether in engineering, processes, or the design of the car, which is obviously quite different with this new generation.”
After a 2025 season marked by many adaptation difficulties, Hamilton especially believes he has found the way of working he needed with his engineers.
“I think we are now in a better situation. We now have excellent collaboration. It took us a good year to really be in sync, but I think we are there.”
In his eyes, this harmony is one of the main explanations for the progress observed this season.
Ferrari responded to Hamilton’s demands
Hamilton also points out that several changes he requested since his arrival have gradually been implemented by Ferrari.
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“Collectively, we have moved in the right direction and the things I asked for have ended up being done over time.”
The results obtained in 2026 reinforce his conviction that the chosen path is the right one.
“Now that we have also achieved results, it shows that it works. I feel that we have now found the right formula.”
The goal is therefore no longer to disrupt Ferrari’s operation, but rather to deepen this new philosophy.
“Now, we will insist even more in this direction and continue to progress.”
Hamilton wanted Ferrari to become a technical benchmark again
During his first season in Maranello, Hamilton also identified another area where Ferrari needed to improve: innovation.
The Briton wanted to see the Scuderia become a team capable of imposing its ideas rather than simply following trends set by its rivals.
“Last year, one of the things I said was that Ferrari had to become the innovative team, the one that all the others try to copy.”
Hamilton believes this change is now visible.
“This year, we are innovating. Others have taken some ideas from our rear wings and our exhaust system. I just think we are moving in the right direction.”
A particularly encouraging observation for a team that has been trying for several years to sustainably return to the fight for championships.
“We are in an excellent momentum”
With still 59 points to catch up on Antonelli, Hamilton knows that the battle for the championship remains tough. But Ferrari’s regained competitiveness and Mercedes’ recent difficulties fuel his hopes.
The Briton especially considers that the foundations necessary to build a championship-winning team are now in place.
“I think we are really in an excellent momentum. We just have to keep building on the foundations we have laid.”
After a first year largely devoted to understanding Ferrari and evolving its operation, Hamilton therefore believes he has finally assembled the different pieces of the puzzle. Now remains to turn this “right formula” into world titles.
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