Ferrari, “in complete control” and chasing the title: Leo Turrini reveals Lewis Hamilton’s secrets
When speaking to the media on Thursday at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton admitted he feared the British Grand Prix could become one of Ferrari’s most difficult weekends of the season. Given the perceived power deficit of the SF-26 compared to its main rivals, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion expected the long Silverstone straights to expose one of the Scuderia’s biggest weaknesses.
Instead, the exact opposite happened.
Ferrari stunned the paddock by claiming Sprint pole position, igniting the home crowd and surprising virtually everyone—including Lewis Hamilton himself.
According to the simulations carried out before the weekend, the British driver had expected the SF-26 to lose significant performance at the end of the straights and to trail its rivals by a much larger margin. Ferrari’s impressive pace was therefore an unexpected reward for the work completed behind the scenes, particularly in preparing the car, refining its energy management and exploiting the strengths of the SF-26 chassis. Together, those elements allowed the Scuderia to neutralise what many believed would be Mercedes’ biggest advantage.
A remarkable turnaround after Austria
The result was even more surprising considering Ferrari’s struggles just two weeks earlier at the Austrian Grand Prix.
At the Red Bull Ring, the SF-26 had clearly lacked competitiveness on the straights, leading Ferrari’s engineers to fear that Silverstone—another circuit with demanding high-speed sections—could become an equally difficult challenge and perhaps even a Mercedes stronghold.
However, the first signs of Ferrari’s competitiveness already emerged during the only Free Practice session. Much of that performance appeared to come from a very different approach to hybrid energy management, with Ferrari adopting a philosophy that contrasted sharply with those of its rivals.
The Maranello team quickly identified the right direction, and analysis of the available data suggested that the expected time losses on the straights were far smaller than many had predicted before the weekend. That achievement becomes even more impressive considering Mercedes was still able to extract slightly more performance from its power unit during the final SQ3 runs.
The technical progress was complemented by an outstanding lap from Lewis Hamilton, who arrived at Silverstone shortly after speculation over his future had effectively been put to rest. The British driver continues to enjoy growing confidence within Ferrari and appears increasingly comfortable inside the team.
Leo Turrini: Lewis Hamilton now has Ferrari behind him
Italian journalist Leo Turrini reflected on Lewis Hamilton‘s situation in his Profondo Rosso blog, using the recent confirmation of the Briton’s long-term future at Ferrari as the starting point for a broader assessment of his role within the Scuderia.
“I believe Hamilton is making the right decision by staying at Ferrari in 2027,” Turrini wrote. “We’re talking about a seven-time world champion. Either someone presents convincing arguments that Lewis is finished, or we simply acknowledge that this season he has scored almost 50 points more than Leclerc.”
Turrini also believes that Lewis Hamilton‘s decision reflects his confidence in Ferrari’s long-term project, particularly with the significant power unit regulation changes planned for 2027.
“By staying at Ferrari, he’s showing faith in the credibility of the project, especially considering the announced changes to the power unit regulations in 2027. Hamilton is convinced that Ferrari can fight for the world championship next year.”
The veteran Italian journalist admitted he hopes that optimism will eventually be rewarded with results.
“As a Ferrari fan, I sincerely hope his feelings will be confirmed on track. One thing is certain: Hamilton now has the racing department in his hands. You can see it in his body language, in the way he communicates with the team and in the confidence he shows every time he interacts with the people around him.”
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