Lewis Hamilton has made clear that Ferrari intends to fight back against Mercedes when Formula 1 returns from the summer break, with the seven-time world champion speaking of the need to “mobilise the troops” as the Scuderia looks to close the gap in both 2026 championship battles.
The second half of the season gives Lewis Hamilton a genuine opportunity to put pressure on Kimi Antonelli at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. The Ferrari driver is only 50 points behind the young Mercedes star, who has led the standings so far, leaving Hamilton in the strongest position to challenge him as the title fight resumes. The situation has also intensified the wider debate over whether Ferrari should consider prioritising Lewis Hamilton during the decisive phase of the campaign.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari target Mercedes in the 2026 F1 title fight
Ferrari can also approach the second half of the Constructors’ Championship with confidence despite sitting 72 points behind Mercedes. The Maranello team benefited from greater reliability than its Brackley rival during the first half of the season, while Mercedes was forced to deal with several power-unit reliability problems.
That consistency has helped Ferrari remain within striking distance heading into the final part of the campaign, although further progress will be required if the Scuderia is to overturn the deficit. The team has already been assessing the key areas of the Ferrari SF-26 that need improvement after the summer break as the championship battle enters its next phase.
Ferrari has not won a Formula 1 World Championship since 2008, when the team secured the Constructors’ title. Kimi Räikkönen remains the Scuderia’s most recent Drivers’ World Champion after claiming the crown in 2007.
For Lewis Hamilton, however, the atmosphere inside Ferrari provides reason for optimism. He believes the organisation is now more “aligned” than ever, with a positive sense of “harmony” developing across the team and inside the factory. Hamilton wants to build on that unity and channel the passion he has encountered at Maranello towards Ferrari’s championship objective.
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari are more united than ever
“It’s been a great first half of the season: it’s good, but obviously it could be better,” Lewis Hamilton told the media. “I think there’s been a really positive atmosphere; the understanding between me, my personal team and the team is better than ever. It’s taken a whole year for us to really get to know each other and now we’re completely in sync. I think that’s a really great foundation to build on for the future.”
With Formula 1 now preparing to resume after the shutdown, every opportunity to score heavily will become increasingly important. Fans can find the full timetable for the championship’s return in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix schedule and Zandvoort weekend guide.
Hamilton wants Ferrari passion channelled in the right direction
Lewis Hamilton also stressed that Ferrari still has considerable work ahead despite the progress made in building stronger relationships within the team. One of his priorities is to make the most of the extraordinary enthusiasm he has witnessed among Ferrari personnel and help turn that passion into results.
“There’s still so much work to do and improvements to make, for example to get the guys as motivated as possible, because they’re all so passionate,” Lewis Hamilton concluded. “At the factory, I’ve never seen love and passion for a team like this, and it’s just about channelling it and pointing it in the right direction.”
For Ferrari, that direction is now clear. Lewis Hamilton enters the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season 50 points behind Kimi Antonelli, while the Scuderia has a 72-point deficit to Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. Closing those gaps will require both performance and consistency, but Hamilton believes the unity developing inside Maranello has given Ferrari a strong foundation from which to mount its challenge.
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