Lewis Hamilton backs Ferrari’s upgrade strategy despite Mercedes advantage at Spa. Lewis Hamilton heads to Spa-Francorchamps looking to continue his strong run of form.

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari faces a difficult challenge at Spa-Francorchamps, acknowledging that the Belgian circuit appears to favour Mercedes. However, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has praised Ferrari’s continuous development approach, highlighting the team’s commitment to bringing regular improvements to the SF-26.

Looking ahead to Spa

Lewis Hamilton arrives at Spa-Francorchamps aiming to build on the strong form that has delivered three podium finishes in the last four races, including his historic victory in Barcelona. The Belgian circuit has always ranked among the British driver’s favourites, and speaking to reporters ahead of the weekend, he admitted that he has always preferred “fast circuits, where you can have spectacular races and wheel-to-wheel battles” over tracks that are “slower and more twisty.”

Ironically, based on the characteristics Ferrari’s SF-26 has displayed so far this season, the Scuderia would theoretically be expected to perform better on circuits where outright top speed is less decisive.

“On this track, [the comparison with Mercedes] is very difficult,” Lewis Hamilton admitted during Thursday’s media day at Spa. “This circuit is full of long straights. We went to Silverstone thinking we would need much more power. We were very quick in the corners, so things turned out much better than we expected.

“We’re coming here without really knowing what to expect, apart from the fact that around 50 percent of the lap is made up of straights. I think there was still a gap of about three to four tenths in the last race [between Ferrari and Mercedes]. I expected it to be a little bigger, but we’re doing everything we can.”

Hamilton approves Ferrari’s development strategy

Despite expecting Mercedes to hold the upper hand at Spa, Lewis Hamilton expressed great confidence in Ferrari’s work behind the scenes and praised the team’s philosophy of introducing a constant stream of small upgrades rather than waiting months for one major development package.

“In terms of upgrades, I’m very proud of the team,” said Ferrari’s #44. “We keep pushing to optimise the car. We’re bringing small improvements every single week, and it’s fantastic to see. Instead of waiting several months for one big upgrade package, it’s like we’re improving small details every race weekend whenever we discover something that can make the car better.”