Lewis Hamilton’s recent surge in performance has reignited discussion around the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, but former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi remains unconvinced that the seven-time world champion can overturn Mercedes’ advantage and capture a historic eighth title this season.
The Frenchman has been impressed by the transformation witnessed at Ferrari over recent months, particularly after Lewis Hamilton secured his breakthrough victory with the Scuderia at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Nevertheless, Jean Alesi believes the championship picture still favours Mercedes and current standings leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton finds himself firmly back in contention after producing his strongest sequence of results since joining Ferrari. Consecutive podium finishes in Monaco and Canada were followed by victory in Spain, allowing the British driver to significantly reduce the gap to the championship lead.
With 15 races still remaining on the calendar, Ferrari supporters have begun to dream of a genuine title challenge. Yet despite acknowledging Ferrari’s impressive progress, Jean Alesi has suggested that the team still has work to do before matching Mercedes consistently over a full season.
Barcelona victory proved Lewis Hamilton still belongs at the front
For Jean Alesi, one of the most important aspects of the Briton’s victory in Barcelona was not the championship implications, but what the result represented personally for the Ferrari driver.
The 2025 campaign had been a difficult period for Lewis Hamilton. After arriving at Ferrari amid enormous expectations, the Briton struggled to adapt to the team’s package and frequently found himself under intense scrutiny. Critics questioned whether age and Formula 1’s ground-effect regulations had diminished his abilities, while some commentators even speculated about retirement.
According to Jean Alesi, the Spanish Grand Prix provided a definitive answer to those doubts. The former Ferrari driver argued that Lewis Hamilton’s performance demonstrated that the talent which made him one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history remains fully intact.
Jean Alesi admitted that he was particularly pleased to see Lewis Hamilton return to the top step of the podium, noting that the victory carried significant emotional value after the challenges the British driver had endured during his first season with Ferrari.
The Frenchman also joked that Lewis Hamilton’s success in Spain allowed the Ferrari driver to match his own Grand Prix victory tally with the Scuderia, adding another light-hearted element to what was an important weekend for the Maranello team.
Ferrari improvements have revived championship discussion
Much of the seven-time world champion’s recent momentum has coincided with Ferrari’s aggressive development programme. The SF-26 has evolved considerably since the opening rounds of the season, with major upgrade packages introduced in Miami and Barcelona helping to unlock additional performance.
The improvements have not only benefited Lewis Hamilton but have also strengthened Ferrari’s position as Mercedes’ closest challenger in the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Ferrari engineers are understood to be encouraged by the correlation between simulation data and on-track results, while further developments are expected throughout the European phase of the season.
Among the most anticipated upgrades is Ferrari’s revised power unit specification scheduled to debut at the Red Bull Ring. Internal simulations reportedly suggest the package could deliver a meaningful performance gain, potentially worth several tenths over a race distance when combined with aerodynamic refinements.
Such developments have naturally increased optimism that Lewis Hamilton could continue reducing the gap to Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the coming weeks.
Jean Alesi still sees Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the benchmark
Despite Ferrari’s upward trajectory, Jean Alesi remains convinced that Mercedes retain the strongest overall package on the grid.
The former Ferrari driver acknowledged that the SF-26 has become a highly competitive car capable of fighting for victories, but he argued that Mercedes continue to hold a performance advantage that could prove decisive across a 22-race championship.
As a result, Jean Alesi believes Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc may be able to collect additional race wins before the end of the season, yet he remains sceptical that Ferrari can consistently outscore Mercedes over the long term.
His confidence in Andrea Kimi Antonelli is particularly striking. Jean Alesi described the young Italian as the standout performer in the current field, praising both his racecraft and his ability to deliver exceptional pace during Grand Prix conditions.
While George Russell continues to impress and remains a major asset for Mercedes, Jean Alesi suggested that Andrea Kimi Antonelli possesses an extra level of race-day performance that separates him from many of his rivals.
The former Ferrari driver also highlighted Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s maturity away from the cockpit, noting that the young Italian has combined elite speed with a calm and grounded personality despite the enormous expectations surrounding him.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc still have reasons to believe
Although Jean Alesi’s assessment may appear pessimistic from a Ferrari perspective, the championship battle remains far from decided.
Lewis Hamilton trails Andrea Kimi Antonelli by only 41 points after seven rounds, a deficit that can be overturned quickly in modern Formula 1. The Briton has already demonstrated that he can convert Ferrari’s recent gains into podium finishes and victories.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc remains an important factor in Ferrari’s campaign. The Monegasque driver has shown flashes of impressive pace throughout the season and could play a significant role in helping Ferrari challenge Mercedes through strategic support and valuable championship points.
Another factor working in Ferrari’s favour has been reliability. While Mercedes have produced the fastest overall package in several races, technical problems have occasionally undermined their results. Ferrari, by contrast, have generally enjoyed stronger operational consistency and fewer major mechanical setbacks.
Championships are rarely won on outright speed alone. Reliability, strategy execution, development rate and driver confidence often prove equally important. With Lewis Hamilton building momentum and Ferrari continuing to introduce upgrades, the title race remains very much alive.
For now, however, Jean Alesi believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains the driver most likely to lift the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship trophy. Whether Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari can prove him wrong may become one of the defining stories of the season.
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