Ferrari weighs crucial Lewis Hamilton garage change ahead of major SF-26 upgrades. Why Ferrari could alter Lewis Hamilton’s race team after encouraging Canadian GP result.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari adaptation accelerates as engineering transition approaches

Lewis Hamilton’s encouraging start to life at Ferrari appears to be gathering momentum, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion becoming increasingly comfortable inside the Maranello-based squad. However, while the partnership between Lewis Hamilton and engineer Carlo Santi continues to flourish, reports suggest Ferrari is still moving forward with plans to introduce a new race engineer in the near future.

The Canadian Grand Prix provided another important step forward for Lewis Hamilton. After securing an impressive second-place finish in Montreal, the British driver openly praised the work being carried out behind the scenes at Ferrari. The result reinforced the belief that both Lewis Hamilton and the Scuderia are beginning to unlock greater potential from a project that has shown signs of progress in recent races.

Although Carlo Santi has earned Lewis Hamilton’s trust and has played a key role in helping the British driver settle into Ferrari’s environment, Ferrari management is reportedly continuing preparations for a longer-term restructuring of the engineering team. At the centre of those discussions is Cédric Michel-Grosjean, an experienced Ferrari engineer who has been viewed internally as a leading candidate to take over future race engineering duties.

Canada result highlights growing confidence for Lewis Hamilton

Only a few weeks ago, Ferrari endured a frustrating weekend in Miami, where expectations surrounding an updated version of the SF-26 were not fully met. The Canadian Grand Prix painted a very different picture.

Despite arriving at a circuit where Ferrari’s power unit deficit was expected to limit performance, Lewis Hamilton managed to extract strong pace throughout the weekend. From the opening practice sessions, the British driver looked increasingly comfortable with the car, and his race execution allowed him to capitalize on opportunities that emerged during the Grand Prix.

While strategic mistakes from rivals contributed to the final outcome, Lewis Hamilton’s performance was widely regarded as one of his most convincing weekends since joining Ferrari. More importantly, it demonstrated growing confidence in the SF-26 and a stronger understanding of how to maximize its performance window.

The result also carried significance within the Ferrari garage. For the third time in the opening five races of the season, Lewis Hamilton finished ahead of Charles Leclerc, an early statistic that highlights how competitive the internal battle has become. While the Monegasque remains Ferrari’s established benchmark, Lewis Hamilton has shown increasing signs that he is adapting quickly to his new surroundings and becoming a genuine threat on a consistent basis.

If this upward trajectory continues, speculation surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s long-term future at Ferrari may quickly disappear. The early indications suggest that both parties are building a foundation capable of extending well into the next regulatory cycle.

Ferrari evaluating next step in race engineer role

Despite the strong working relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi, Ferrari is believed to be considering a gradual transition toward a new race engineer structure.

According to reports from Italy, Cédric Michel-Grosjean has been preparing for a larger role within the team for several months. Some observers expected the French engineer to make his debut on Lewis Hamilton’s radio channel as early as the Miami Grand Prix weekend, although that move did not materialize.

Now, attention is shifting toward Barcelona, where Ferrari could potentially begin integrating Michel-Grosjean into race-weekend operations. The engineer is already highly familiar with Ferrari’s internal processes and technical systems, making him a natural candidate should the team decide to proceed with the planned transition.

At the same time, Ferrari is preparing what could be one of its most important technical developments of the season. The Spanish Grand Prix is expected to see the introduction of a revised front wing alongside additional aerodynamic upgrades designed to improve overall balance and reduce the performance gap to McLaren and Mercedes.

With Lewis Hamilton building momentum, Charles Leclerc continuing to push for consistency, and significant upgrades arriving in the coming races, Ferrari enters a crucial phase of its campaign. The next few Grands Prix could determine not only the competitiveness of the SF-26 but also the long-term structure of the team surrounding Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari pursues its ambitions under Formula 1’s new era.