Just twelve months ago, Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari adventure appeared to be heading in a worrying direction. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion endured the most difficult season of his illustrious career, struggling to adapt to both the SF-25 and the final year of the ground-effect regulations.
Fast forward to the 2026 season, however, and the narrative surrounding Lewis Hamilton has changed dramatically. The British driver has re-established himself as one of the leading figures on the Formula 1 grid, delivering podium finishes, consistently challenging at the front and once again looking capable of fighting for victories.
The transformation has been so striking that even some of his former critics have publicly acknowledged the change.
Among them is former Formula 1 driver and television analyst Davide Valsecchi, who admitted that he was deeply frustrated by Lewis Hamilton’s attitude and public appearances during his difficult first year at Ferrari. In contrast, he now sees a completely different driver—one who has rediscovered confidence, competitiveness and enthusiasm.
From Ferrari struggles to championship contender
The contrast between the two seasons could hardly be greater.
In 2025, Lewis Hamilton frequently appeared discouraged as Ferrari struggled to provide him with a car capable of matching his driving style. The campaign produced disappointing statistics by his extraordinary standards, including the first season of his Formula 1 career without a Grand Prix podium finish.
At several points throughout the year, the Briton openly acknowledged his frustrations. The relationship between driver and car never truly clicked, and the final months of the season often saw Lewis Hamilton battling issues that would have been unthinkable during the most successful periods of his career.
The introduction of the new 2026 regulations has transformed that situation.
The latest generation of Formula 1 cars appears far better suited to Lewis Hamilton’s natural strengths, particularly his aggressive braking style and ability to attack corner entries. Combined with Ferrari’s continued development efforts, the result has been a significantly more competitive package.
Multiple podium finishes have already followed, including strong performances in China, Canada and Monaco, putting Lewis Hamilton firmly back in the spotlight.
Davide Valsecchi sees a completely different Lewis Hamilton
According to Davide Valsecchi, the most impressive aspect of Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence is not simply the results, but the attitude accompanying them.
The former GP2 champion explained that he has been surprised by the level of performance displayed by the Ferrari driver throughout the season. In his assessment, Lewis Hamilton has consistently demonstrated speed, maturity and an ability to extract strong results whenever opportunities have presented themselves.
Valsecchi also highlighted how different the Briton appears in his interactions with the media, the team and his engineers. Rather than focusing on frustration or disappointment, the seven-time world champion has projected confidence and positivity throughout the year. In his view, the Lewis Hamilton currently competing for Ferrari bears little resemblance to the driver seen during the difficult moments of the 2025 campaign.
He noted that while age may occasionally prevent Lewis Hamilton from extracting every last hundredth of a second in qualifying, his overall level remains exceptionally high. Valsecchi praised the Ferrari driver’s consistency, ability to avoid mistakes and his renewed competitiveness against both teammates and rivals.
Charles Leclerc remains a major benchmark inside Ferrari
Despite praising Lewis Hamilton’s performances, Davide Valsecchi does not believe the internal battle at Ferrari has been decided.
Charles Leclerc has experienced a complicated start to the season, with technical setbacks, strategic frustrations and, more recently, braking issues affecting several race weekends. Those difficulties have allowed Lewis Hamilton to gain momentum and establish a temporary advantage in several key performance comparisons.
However, Valsecchi believes the picture may change once Charles Leclerc fully resolves the brake-related challenges that have affected his confidence in recent events.
The Monegasque driver recently decided to adopt the Carbon Industries brake configuration already used by the seven-time world champion, a move that many within the paddock will watch closely. If the change successfully restores the feeling Charles Leclerc has been missing under braking, the competitive balance inside Ferrari could shift again.
Several observers still consider Charles Leclerc one of the fastest drivers over a single lap, particularly when fully comfortable with the car. For that reason, the intra-team battle remains one of the most fascinating storylines of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Ferrari benefits from having two drivers at their peak
Regardless of who finishes ahead internally, Ferrari is arguably the biggest winner from the current situation.
Lewis Hamilton appears rejuvenated, motivated and increasingly influential within the team. Charles Leclerc remains one of Formula 1’s elite talents and continues to be deeply invested in Ferrari’s long-term project.
With both drivers pushing development in parallel, the Scuderia now possesses one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid.
The renewed form of Lewis Hamilton is particularly significant because it comes after a period when many questioned whether the seven-time world champion could still perform at the highest level. The answer in 2026 has been emphatic.
Not only has Lewis Hamilton silenced many of those doubts, but he has also reminded the paddock why he remains one of the most successful and respected drivers in Formula 1 history.
As Ferrari continues its pursuit of Mercedes and prepares further upgrades for the SF-26, the combination of an inspired Lewis Hamilton and a determined Charles Leclerc could prove one of the team’s greatest assets in the months ahead.
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