59 points behind Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton refuses to give up the title race. But he warns Ferrari: it is now necessary to accelerate against Mercedes.
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Lewis Hamilton arrives in Monza with a clear objective: to see Ferrari step up a gear. After twelve rounds, the Scuderia is still able to challenge Mercedes for both championships, but the gaps are starting to become significant and McLaren now represents an additional threat.
In the drivers’ championship, Hamilton is in third place with 183 points. The seven-time world champion is tied with George Russell, but the Briton is ranked behind his former teammate due to the number of wins: two for the Mercedes driver against one for Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, has a 59-point lead. A comfortable margin that now forces Ferrari to maximize every opportunity if it truly wants to maintain its title ambitions.
Ferrari must accelerate against Mercedes
The situation is also delicate in the constructors’ championship. Ferrari still holds second place but is 87 points behind Mercedes.
The difference is notably found in the number of wins. The Brackley team has won eight times since the start of the season, compared to only two victories for Ferrari.
Hamilton therefore knows that the second half of the championship will have to be significantly more effective.
“We obviously have a lot of work to do to try to reduce the gap with the Mercedes,” he admits.
However, the Briton refuses to give a negative assessment of the first part of the season.
“We are in a very different situation from where we were in the past, and obviously from last year.”
Hamilton acknowledges the progress made
Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari had been particularly difficult, but the situation has profoundly evolved in 2026.
The SF-26 now regularly allows the Scuderia to fight at the front, even if the Italian team has not always managed to fully exploit its potential.
“We are still second in the constructors’ championship. There are a lot of positive things to take away from this first half of the season,” Hamilton emphasizes.
The seven-time world champion notably won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, but his results have become more inconsistent since that victory.
In the last five races, he has only been on the podium once. Penalties, but also several missed opportunities by Ferrari, have prevented him from maximizing his points total.
Errors that cost Ferrari dearly
The Dutch Grand Prix provided another example.
Ferrari seemed to have enough pace to achieve an important result, but several operational problems compromised its chances. Hamilton notably lost time behind Charles Leclerc before the team’s strategy was finally changed.
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The Briton had estimated after the race that these lost seconds probably played a role in his failure to reach the podium.
In such a tight battle, Ferrari can no longer afford to let these types of opportunities slip away. Especially since Mercedes is no longer its only opponent.
McLaren adds a new threat
McLaren’s spectacular comeback further complicates the situation.
After falling significantly behind at the start of the season, the Woking team has considerably improved its MCL40 thanks to upgrades introduced in recent weeks.
Lando Norris has just won two consecutive Grands Prix, in Hungary and then in the Netherlands. Several drivers now consider McLaren to have the fastest car.
Ferrari must therefore not only regain points on Mercedes but also avoid being overtaken in the hierarchy by a McLaren team in full progress.
Monza should not be ideal for Ferrari
The next event will have particular importance as it is the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race.
But the characteristics of Monza should not necessarily highlight the main strengths of the SF-26.
The design of the Ferrari turbo notably favors more winding circuits and low-speed throttle phases. On the other hand, the Italian power unit would be less efficient when top speed becomes decisive.
With its long straights and significant acceleration phases, Monza could therefore represent a challenge for the Scuderia.
However, Ferrari must introduce an upgrade to its power unit there, hoping to reduce part of its deficit.
“We really have to raise the tone”
For Hamilton, the time has now come to turn Ferrari’s potential into much more consistent results.
“In the next races, we really have to raise the tone if we want to have any chance of beating those guys,” he warns.
The message is clear. With 59 points to make up on Antonelli and Ferrari 87 points behind Mercedes in the constructors, the margin for error is seriously shrinking.
The season is still long enough to allow a turnaround, but Ferrari must now string together performances and above all better exploit the opportunities that arise.
And what better place than Monza to launch this offensive? In front of the tifosi, Hamilton now expects Ferrari to “raise the tone” and finally turn its progress into a real threat to Mercedes in the race for both world titles.
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