After being dominated during his first season in red, Hamilton shows that a regulation change can completely reshuffle the cards between two teammates, highlights Carlos Sainz.
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Lewis Hamilton seems to have perfectly managed the regulation change at Ferrari.
After a complicated first season, the Briton has reversed the trend against Charles Leclerc and now has a 28-point lead over his teammate after twelve rounds. An evolution that particularly impresses Sainz.
Sainz admiring
The former Ferrari driver considers the situation a true “lesson for everyone,” given how the balance of power between teammates has evolved since the arrival of the new cars in 2026. In 2025, Leclerc had indeed largely taken the upper hand over Hamilton. The seven-time world champion had encountered many difficulties adapting his driving to his new team and to a car very different from those he had known at Mercedes.
A few months later, the situation has reversed: “It is impressive to see how much the performances between teammates have varied,” notes Sainz.
For the Spaniard, the Ferrari duel is just one example among others. At Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli has gained the advantage over George Russell, while Max Verstappen no longer has the same margin over the second Red Bull driver since the arrival of Isack Hadjar. These changes illustrate, according to Sainz, the importance of adapting to a new generation of cars.
The new F1 cars have reshuffled the cards
When a car naturally matches a driver’s qualities and preferences, they can quickly exploit its potential. Conversely, some characteristics may require a much more significant reassessment: “A car can suit you very well, or not be exactly what you want, but sooner or later, you have to adapt.”
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The regulation change in 2026 further accentuated this phenomenon. After several years with the previous generation of cars, drivers had to modify certain automatisms and find new reference points.
Hamilton is precisely one of the most interesting examples. His arrival at Ferrari in 2025 had been difficult, and Leclerc then seemed much more comfortable with the characteristics of the Italian car.
Hamilton managed to reverse the trend
The arrival of the new regulations changed the game. Hamilton now seems to better exploit the Ferrari and has gradually taken the lead in the championship.
For Sainz, this evolution mainly shows that the balance of power between two teammates is never definitive and also depends on each one’s ability to adapt to the characteristics of a car. This obviously does not mean that Leclerc has suddenly lost his qualities. The Monegasque simply needs to find the solutions that allow him to exploit this new generation of Ferrari just as effectively.
After being dominated during his first season at Maranello, Hamilton thus demonstrates that a regulation change can completely reshuffle the cards between two teammates — and that adaptability remains one of the essential qualities of the best Formula 1 drivers.
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