Lewis Hamilton has experienced a spectacular change of trajectory since the start of the 2026 season. Several factors explain the progress of the seven-time world champion, but the Briton highlights the collaboration that has finally been established between him and Ferrari.
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After a difficult first season at Maranello, Hamilton notably felt that some of his requests were not sufficiently taken into account.
He reveals having discussed with the leaders of Ferrari the need to work as allies rather than as adversaries.
Striking contrast from one year to the next
An evolution that is now bearing fruit. After a winless 2025 season for Ferrari, Hamilton won in Barcelona and currently holds third place in the championship, 32 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli after the Scuderia’s new victory with Charles Leclerc in England.
Asked during his home Grand Prix at Silverstone about the main factors that enabled this recovery, Hamilton first emphasized his involvement in the development of the car: “First of all, there is the fact that I am driving a car that I really helped develop. Some elements of the car, like the front suspension for example, are things I had requested last year, which had been developed for the simulator and which I was able to test.”
“This year, I finally got the brakes I wanted, which required a lot of effort,” he says. “There were also changes of engineers in my personal team, as well as a reorganization of some people and the way they work with the team.”
Support from the hierarchy
Hamilton also explains having worked on his relationships with the main leaders of Ferrari, starting with president John Elkann (photo above): “I realigned myself with the top executives of the organization to make sure we were moving in the same direction and that we were allies rather than adversaries. The situation is now much better and this allows us to move forward together, in perfect synergy.”
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The Briton acknowledges that his poor results in 2025 had complicated the building of this relationship of trust: “Every weekend was really difficult last year. Naturally, when the results are not there, people tend to listen to you less: ‘Why should we listen to you when you get such results?’”
“So it took a lot of time to build this trust. I think it is now there and the things I ask for are done,” he congratulates himself. “It is obviously a relationship that works both ways. We push each other forward. The collaboration is finally here and I think that is the most important thing.”
Hamilton praises the return of innovation at Ferrari
Hamilton is also particularly satisfied with the overall evolution of Ferrari since last season: “Coming back to the forefront after the situation we were in last year represents a remarkable recovery for our team. I am very proud of everyone. Every weekend, we bring new parts and we constantly continue to evolve.”
The seven-time world champion had notably regretted the lack of innovation from Ferrari in 2025: “One of the questions I asked last year was: ‘Where is the innovation?’ We should be the leaders. Ferrari is the most important and most successful team in the history of this sport. It should be the team everyone seeks to follow. Everyone should look at our car and what we do saying: ‘We have to do the same thing.’”
Hamilton believes Ferrari has now managed to regain this capacity for innovation: “ We saw it this year with the rear wing, for example. There is also the element at the exhaust level that all the other teams now use. It is really great to see. We have a group of extraordinary people who work very hard to make us progress and propel us forward. That is all I want to see: to keep moving forward in small steps.”
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