Lewis Hamilton has outlined his priorities for Ferrari’s final five races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, revealing how much of his work is already focused on shaping the team’s 2027 car. Speaking on Thursday ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion explained that he is working closely with Ferrari’s engineers to improve the chassis, aerodynamics and power unit, while remaining determined to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
The British driver sees the closing stages of the campaign as an important opportunity to prepare Ferrari for next year. With the team still trying to close the performance gap to Mercedes and Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton believes the decisions being made at Maranello now could prove crucial to Ferrari’s ability to fight consistently for victories in 2027.
Lewis Hamilton’s role in Ferrari’s 2027 car development: chassis, aerodynamics and power unit
Lewis Hamilton explained that his daily work with Ferrari’s engineers is increasingly centred on guiding the design of the 2027 car. The focus is on addressing the weaknesses identified throughout the current championship while ensuring that the strengths of the SF-26 are carried forward into the next generation of machinery.
“I am constantly working behind the scenes. I am at a crucial stage in steering next season’s car in the right direction, focusing on the areas where we absolutely need to improve. This was at the centre of our discussions last weekend and will continue to be over the coming weekends, providing direct feedback to the people designing next year’s components and showing them where we can make progress with both the chassis and the aerodynamic package.”
The power unit is another major priority. Ferrari’s engine performance has been a significant weakness during 2026, with the team facing a considerable challenge in matching its leading rivals. The issue was also highlighted by Lewis Hamilton’s Austin telemetry analysis and Ferrari’s continuing power deficit.
“Of course, they are also working hard at the factory to improve our engine. I think that if we can close the gap to the leaders on the power-unit side, we will definitely be able to fight for victory at every race. Right now, I am extremely focused on next year’s car. I am analysing the positive aspects of this season to make sure they are not lost, but instead incorporated and developed further on the new chassis. At the same time, I am pushing as hard as possible behind the scenes to ensure we have a power unit capable of competing on equal terms with Mercedes and Red Bull.”
Ferrari’s final five races of 2026 will be a test for the team
Although his attention is increasingly turning towards 2027, Lewis Hamilton has not abandoned Ferrari’s immediate objectives. The seven-time world champion believes the remaining five Grands Prix should also be used to refine the team’s operational methods and identify improvements that can carry over into next season.
“I think the next five races are effectively like test races. Of course, we want to maintain second place in the Constructors’ Championship, but for us this is the ideal time to analyse how the season has gone and continue changing and refining our working processes, something we have already started doing and have improved. Obviously, I would love to finish the season on a high.”
Ferrari currently holds a reassuring 119-point advantage over Red Bull and McLaren, who are level behind the Maranello team in the Constructors’ Championship. That margin gives Ferrari an opportunity to defend its position while continuing to evaluate areas that need strengthening before 2027.
“I do what I do to win, so… my only focus is trying to make sure the team holds on to second place in the Constructors’ Championship because that is what they deserve. I think it is a good starting point compared to last year, and hopefully we can work towards being able to fight Mercedes next year. But second place is the first of the rest…”
Ferrari plans FP1 experiments at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Ferrari’s development work will continue at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where the team intends to evaluate additional solutions during Friday’s opening practice session. The programme follows the comparative analysis undertaken at Austin, where Ferrari’s latest SF-26 aerodynamic upgrades delivered encouraging results before the different demands of Mexico City presented another challenge.
Lewis Hamilton believes the information gathered in the United States provides a useful foundation for further progress, even if the planned experiments create additional complications during FP1.
“We can certainly take a lot of positives from the Austin weekend, and that is what we need to do to move forward and arrive in Mexico with a better starting point. The first practice session will be a bit of a challenge because of some solutions we are going to test, but we are at a stage where we are analysing the car in depth to understand where we can improve, particularly with 2027 in mind.”
Lewis Hamilton expects another close Ferrari battle with Mercedes and Red Bull
Despite Ferrari’s continuing development efforts, Lewis Hamilton expects strong opposition from Mercedes and Red Bull during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. The British driver praised the work being carried out at Maranello, while acknowledging how competitive Ferrari’s closest rivals remain.
“Every upgrade we receive is positive and we are really grateful for it. The people at Maranello are doing an extraordinary job. However, our rivals are extremely close. Mercedes remains a rocket and Red Bull has shown incredible speed, so I imagine we are in for another extremely close battle between all of us this weekend.”
Ferrari therefore heads into Mexico balancing two priorities: protecting its position in the 2026 Constructors’ Championship and gathering information to guide its 2027 development programme. The team’s preparations will begin with the experimental FP1 programme, while the cooling and grip challenges expected at the Mexico City Grand Prix will provide another demanding examination of the SF-26.
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