Hamilton-Ferrari: has the turning point finally arrived?
After failing to secure a single Grand Prix podium throughout the entire 2025 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton has now already claimed two podium finishes in the opening five races of the 2026 campaign. As veteran Italian journalist Pino Allievi pointed out in his latest commentary, this is exactly the version of the British driver Ferrari expected when they made the blockbuster decision to sign the seven-time Formula 1 world champion ahead of the 2024 season.
Lewis Hamilton now sits just three points behind Charles Leclerc in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, adding further intrigue to Ferrari’s internal battle as the European leg of the 2026 Formula 1 season begins. The campaign starts with the Monaco Grand Prix and will continue through a demanding stretch of races until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the end of September.
Historically, circuits such as Shanghai and Montreal have suited Lewis Hamilton exceptionally well, alongside his traditional stronghold at Silverstone. That makes the Monaco Grand Prix an especially fascinating test. With Ferrari expected to be highly competitive on the streets of Monte Carlo, attention will naturally focus on whether Lewis Hamilton can match the pace of hometown favourite Charles Leclerc across one of the most technically demanding weekends of the season.
Lewis Hamilton made it clear that he is currently enjoying a very positive period within Ferrari. Any speculation about a near-term arrival of former McLaren engineer Romain Grosjean in a race engineering role appears premature, especially as the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi seems to be developing strongly after the early-season challenges experienced with Riccardo Adami.
Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton praised the people around him at Ferrari and highlighted the impact of the recent internal changes:
“My engineer has been absolutely fantastic, and I really enjoy working with him,” Lewis Hamilton said. “My secondary engineer also did an incredible job this weekend and helped me unlock even more performance from the car, getting it into a much more optimal operating window.
“For the first time, I was finally able to attack all the corners properly and, as I said, there were many changes that I had requested. Frederic Vasseur has supported me massively and, once again, has done everything possible to make me feel comfortable. He moved mountains for me, and that is finally starting to show in my performances.” – the British driver concluded following the Montreal race.
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