Lewis Hamilton has rejected the widely held theory that Formula 1’s radically different 2026 cars are the main reason behind his resurgence with Ferrari. While the seven-time world champion accepts that he was less comfortable with the previous generation of ground-effect machinery, he believes the improvement in his form is also the product of changes he spent months pushing for inside Maranello.
The new regulations appear, on paper, to move Formula 1 back towards characteristics that have traditionally suited Hamilton. However, the British driver has pointed instead to a broader combination of adaptation, setup work and technical changes at Ferrari, including the introduction of Carbon Industrie brake discs after the Scuderia had long relied on Brembo materials. The progress follows a difficult first Ferrari campaign in 2025 and has helped reshape the picture around Hamilton’s improved 2026 form.
Lewis Hamilton rejects simple explanation for 2026 resurgence
One of the most common explanations for Hamilton’s improvement concerns the fundamental change in Formula 1 car philosophy between 2025 and 2026. The ground-effect cars used from 2022 through 2025 demanded a style that did not always align naturally with the approach Hamilton had developed across much of his career.
The previous generation tended to reward drivers who completed corners with a smoother, more rounded trajectory. Rather than attacking the braking zone extremely late, the emphasis was often on braking earlier, maintaining momentum and allowing the car to roll through the corner while its floor and underbody generated much of the aerodynamic load.
Hamilton has traditionally preferred a different approach. He has often been associated with braking late and hard, attacking corner entry and using a more V-shaped line that allows the car to rotate before accelerating strongly away from the apex.
That contrast has helped create the theory that the 2026 regulations have simply returned Formula 1 to a type of car better suited to him. It is an argument also reflected in Emerson Fittipaldi’s assessment of why the new-generation cars favour Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, however, does not consider driving style alone a convincing explanation. He acknowledged that he had been less happy with the previous cars, but pointed out that he was still capable of winning races with them. His 2024 British Grand Prix victory at Silverstone was his example of why a driver whose style was fundamentally incompatible with an entire generation of machinery would not necessarily have been capable of producing such performances.
For Hamilton, adaptability remains the more important factor. His argument is that Formula 1 drivers must find ways to extract performance from different concepts rather than relying on regulations that perfectly match their natural preferences.
Why the 2026 F1 cars appear closer to Hamilton’s preferred style
There is nevertheless a clear technical reason why the new regulations have been linked to Hamilton’s resurgence. The 2026 chassis rules moved away from the extreme dependence on underfloor ground effect that defined the previous generation, with wings once again playing a greater role in producing aerodynamic load.
The aerodynamic rake concept has also returned to greater prominence. Rake describes the difference in ride height between the front and rear of the car, and it was an area Mercedes exploited particularly effectively during the regulations used from 2017 to 2021.
That period was exceptionally successful for Hamilton. Four of the six Formula 1 world championships he won with Mercedes came between 2017 and 2020, when the team’s cars operated within a technical framework that allowed his preferred approach to thrive.
Hamilton has also previously expressed enjoyment of the characteristics of the new generation, with the 2026 Formula 1 cars offering a different driving experience from the machines they replaced.
Yet the Briton is resisting the idea that this technical reset explains everything. From his perspective, the transformation at Ferrari has involved much more detailed work behind the scenes.
Ferrari changes took months to deliver for Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s first season at Maranello in 2025 was extremely difficult, and he believes several elements of the car and its setup simply did not work for him. Resolving those issues was not immediate. Instead, he has described a long process of identifying what needed to change and gradually persuading Ferrari to implement those adjustments.
Fred Vasseur played a role in helping to push those developments through. One of the most notable technical changes involved braking equipment, with Ferrari adopting Carbon Industrie brake discs for Hamilton after historically using Brembo materials.
Braking confidence is particularly significant for a driver whose traditional strengths include attacking the braking phase and carrying that aggression into corner entry. The change therefore forms part of a wider effort to provide Hamilton with a platform from which he can use those characteristics more effectively.
The seven-time world champion indicated that the results of that work are now beginning to appear. After months of trying to change aspects of the package that had been problematic during 2025, he feels the first signs of progress are finally becoming visible.
The development fits into the broader work Ferrari is undertaking with the SF-26, with the team continuing to evaluate the areas where its 2026 car can still be improved as it attempts to maximise the package over the second half of the season.
Lewis Hamilton wants 20 years of experience to help Ferrari improve
Hamilton also sees his role at Ferrari as extending far beyond driving the car. When he joined the Italian team, his objective was to first observe how the organisation operated before using the experience accumulated across two decades in Formula 1 to help improve it.
That includes the knowledge gained while winning seven world championships. Hamilton explained that he wanted to bring that experience into an organisation he already regarded as strong and use his input to help Ferrari move to another level.
It is an approach that has required considerable work away from the circuit. The Briton repeatedly highlighted during 2025 how much effort he was putting into the background, attempting to help Ferrari understand where improvements could be made and how the team could navigate the changes required.
Hamilton’s determination to influence the organisation rather than simply adapt to whatever machinery he was given has also become part of the wider discussion around his leadership at Maranello. Damon Hill has similarly highlighted the more assertive role Hamilton has taken during his Ferrari revival.
For the seven-time champion, that extensive background work is now beginning to produce its first tangible step. He maintains that he has been unwilling to leave any area unexplored in the attempt to make both himself and Ferrari more competitive.
Hamilton believes adaptation and Ferrari progress matter as much as new rules
The 2026 regulations may have given Hamilton a car concept that aligns more closely with some of the characteristics that served him so well during his most successful years at Mercedes. But he does not accept that Formula 1’s technical reset should receive all the credit for his resurgence.
His own interpretation is more nuanced. Hamilton was able to win even during the ground-effect era, believes elite drivers must adapt to different machinery and has spent a significant amount of time attempting to change elements at Ferrari that did not suit him during 2025.
The improvement now visible in 2026 therefore reflects more than one factor. A different generation of Formula 1 car may form part of the equation, but Hamilton believes Ferrari’s setup changes, technical adjustments and the work undertaken behind the scenes are finally beginning to deliver the progress he had been pursuing since joining Maranello.
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