Ferrari can win, and above all, it still has significant room to grow. This is the clear message coming from Jock Clear, a deep expert of the Maranello environment, where he worked extensively alongside drivers, engineers, and technical leadership. In a long conversation with Peter Windsor, the British engineer offered a very insightful view of Scuderia Ferrari’s current state, defending the work done in Maranello over recent months and insisting that Ferrari’s 2026 season is far from over.
Hamilton, one year later a completely different Lewis
One of the most important topics discussed by Jock Clear was Lewis Hamilton. He urged people not to underestimate the difficulties faced by the British driver in his first season in red, explaining how complex it is to adapt to a new team even for a driver of his calibre.
“When you change team, you change culture, you change the DNA of the team as well as the car. Lewis struggled because it is something difficult for everyone,” Clear explained, adding that the early issues did not particularly surprise him.
However, according to the former Ferrari engineer, the current situation is very different. “With a year of experience at Ferrari, building relationships and also adding part of his input into development, you can see the difference.”
For Jock Clear, it is not just about lap times: “Lewis is now enjoying himself, because he has a car in which he has more confidence.” And confidence changes everything. When a driver feels comfortable, they can push properly, fully understand the limits of the car, and help the team correct them. In Hamilton’s case, this process is already delivering tangible results.
“He is keeping up with Charles,” Jock Clear stated, highlighting a much more competitive and productive internal battle with Charles Leclerc.
Clear also defended Ferrari strongly on the media front. According to him, in recent years the Scuderia has too often been treated as an easy target.
“In recent times Ferrari has been a bit of a punching ball for many fans. Some criticism may have been justified, but I think a lot of it has been unfair.”
After all, a strong Ferrari is good for Formula 1 as a whole: “Everyone likes it when Ferrari is doing well. In general, our sport benefits from a competitive Ferrari.”
Ferrari close to Mercedes: “It is not over”. And on strategy…
Moving to the technical picture, Clear acknowledges that Mercedes is currently the reference, but he rejects the idea that the championship is already decided.
With new regulations and power units still not fully mature, the development curve can dramatically shift performance levels.
“Ferrari are not yet at Mercedes’ level at the moment, but they are quite close. This will not be a normal season where you find two or three tenths over a year. Some cars can improve by a second, maybe even more, over the course of the season.”
In other words, from mid-season onwards and especially towards the end of the year, the competitive order can change significantly.
“It is not at all over. And Mercedes know it.”
Clear also addressed strategy, long a sensitive topic for the Scuderia. “Five, six, seven years ago our strategy was not great. And I was part of it,” he admitted.
“I remember decisions after which you would leave the race wondering: why did I do that?”
However, this makes his current assessment of Ferrari even more meaningful. “Honestly, over the last two years I think they have been as good as the other top teams.”
Not necessarily the absolute best, but now operating at a competitive level: “I would not say better than everyone else, but I think they have reached a point where they are able to make the decisions that matter.”
Progress is also visible in pit stops: “I think today they are regularly the fastest team in pit stops,” Clear said, noting how this was once a major weakness for Ferrari.
Strong starts: a deliberate Ferrari advantage
Perhaps the most interesting point concerns race starts, already one of Ferrari’s technical trademarks this season. For Clear, this is no coincidence.
“From what I understand, it was a conscious decision,” he explained.
“There was discussion in the paddock with the FIA about potential issues related to energy management at the start. Ferrari decided to tackle the issue head-on and turn it into an advantage.”
And the results are clear: “At first you think it is just a good start in Australia. But then you see they do it every time. It is clearly an advantage over their rivals.”
The importance of starts under these regulations is even greater, because getting stuck in traffic costs a lot in terms of energy and race pace. Running in clean air allows cars to dictate their rhythm.
That is why Ferrari puts pressure on Mercedes from the very start, forcing the Silver Arrows to react in less favourable conditions.
It is no coincidence that George Russell himself admitted: “Ferrari is a fast car in all the right places.” And according to Clear, “that is exactly what a racing car should do. I can only congratulate them.”
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