Lewis Hamilton seems to be displaying a much more positive attitude at the dawn of the 2026 season. But for Charles Leclerc, his new teammate at Ferrari remains fundamentally the same: simply very enthusiastic.
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The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari was one of the major events of the 2025 Formula 1 season. However, the Briton’s first year with the Scuderia did not go as hoped.
Throughout a complicated campaign for the Italian team, the seven-time world champion often appeared frustrated, even dejected, after several difficult weekends. The disappointing results and the lack of competitiveness of the car sometimes gave the impression of a driver who was particularly critical of himself.
As the 2026 season and the introduction of new technical regulations approach, the atmosphere seems to have evolved, however. Hamilton is now showing himself to be significantly more enthusiastic and determined to start this new campaign.
Asked about this apparent change, his teammate Charles Leclerc remains nuanced. For him, the Briton hasn’t really changed.
“He is simply very enthusiastic”
According to Leclerc, Hamilton’s positive attitude is mainly explained by the excitement linked to the arrival of a new generation of cars.
“I don’t see Lewis in a different mindset, explains the Monegasque driver. I simply think he is very enthusiastic.”
Leclerc also points out that this enthusiasm is not new. Hamilton was already particularly motivated when he joined Ferrari last year.
“He was very excited to join the team last season, and he is just as excited with the arrival of these new cars, just like me.”
The two drivers have also worked intensively behind the scenes during the 2025 season to prepare the Scuderia for the entry into this new regulatory era.
Intense preparation for the new regulations
After a difficult 2025 season for Ferrari, much of the work focused on the development of the 2026 car. Hamilton and Leclerc both actively participated in the team’s efforts to approach this transition with better foundations.
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Even though Hamilton is now competing in his twentieth season in Formula 1, his environment at Ferrari remains relatively new to him. Conversely, Leclerc already has several years of experience within the Scuderia.
The Monegasque driver also recalls that racing for Ferrari comes with a particular media pressure.
“I approach this season in a fairly neutral way. I’ve been with the team for several years and I know how things work,” he explains.
“Driving for Ferrari is something very special, but it also comes with a lot of noise and sometimes expectations that don’t really reflect reality.”
A first race full of unknowns
Despite encouraging winter testing, Leclerc prefers to remain cautious before the first race of the season.
According to him, the new cars introduced in 2026 still contain many unknowns, particularly in certain race situations that are difficult to reproduce during testing.
“It’s going to be an interesting race, he believes. With the cars we had before, which were more traditional, we had generally tested most scenarios before arriving at the first race.”
With these new cars, some situations could still hold surprises.
“There are still quite a few unknown scenarios, such as restarts after a safety car or other situations that cannot really be reproduced during testing. This could surprise us.”
One thing is certain: Ferrari hopes to transform the enthusiasm of its two drivers into results from the season opener.
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