Lewis Hamilton has returned from Formula 1’s summer break with a very different feeling about Ferrari compared with 12 months ago. It is not only because he sits second in the Drivers’ Championship, but above all because the seven-time world champion believes he has finally developed the close understanding with Maranello that makes him feel fully integrated with the team.
Ahead of a demanding Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort, Lewis Hamilton explained that Ferrari has changed considerably across engineering, internal processes and the design philosophy of its new-generation car. More importantly, he believes the ideas he pushed for after joining the Scuderia have now been implemented – and that the results are evidence that the new direction is working.
“We’ve made a lot of changes to the car,” Lewis Hamilton explained ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. “From engineering to processes, and the design of the car is also very different with this new generation. I think we’re in a better position today.”
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari has finally found the right formula
Lewis Hamilton sees the collaboration established within the team as one of the decisive steps forward. The process began last year, but in his view it inevitably required time before producing the expected results.
“It took a good year for us to really get in sync, but I think we’re there now: we have a great collaboration. The things I had asked for have been implemented over time and the results have come as well, so that shows it works. I think we have the right formula now and we need to keep pushing down this path, continuing to improve.”
That sense of progress extends to Ferrari’s technical programme. The team has continued to evolve the SF-26 aggressively, with confidence increasing around the latest Ferrari development work for Zandvoort as Formula 1 begins the second half of the season.
Hamilton: Ferrari is innovating and rivals are following
Lewis Hamilton also spoke with clear satisfaction about the technical direction Ferrari has taken. Twelve months ago, he had set out a specific objective: Maranello should not simply follow solutions created by its rivals but should return to being a technical reference point itself. He now believes that change has taken place.
“One of the things I said last year was that Ferrari should be the one innovating. Everybody should be following Ferrari, and this year we are the innovators. Others have followed the design of our wings, the exhaust system. I think we’re going in the right direction and I think we’re really in a ‘sweet spot’. We just need to keep building on the foundation we’ve created.”
Ferrari’s approach has been visible throughout the development of its 2026 car, with the team continuing to introduce aerodynamic solutions as the season progresses. The latest example is the SF-26 floor and rear-wing package prepared for Zandvoort, part of the broader effort to extract more performance from the car.
Lewis Hamilton is not suggesting that Ferrari’s work is complete. The new Formula 1 regulations have presented a major challenge to every team, and he believes the mistakes made during the first half of the season are part of the inevitable learning process that accompanies such a significant technical change.
“We have to keep progressing the car. There are definitely still many areas where we need to improve, but we’ve come a long way. I’m really proud of the steps forward we made before the start of the season and then during the championship.”
“I think it’s been a huge challenge for everyone. Every team has made mistakes, which is natural with new regulations, but we have to keep chasing.”
Ferrari must now improve its race-weekend execution
More than development itself, Lewis Hamilton sees race-weekend execution as the area Ferrari needs to focus on during the second half of the campaign. With Formula 1’s competitive order so tight, extracting the maximum from every session could become just as important as bringing new performance to the SF-26.
“I see everyone inside the team very motivated and focused. There’s a lot of confidence, and it’s really nice to see. We keep adding performance and progressing the car. I don’t think I can ask much more from the team. What we need to do in the second half of the season is try to execute the weekends better.”
That will be particularly important at Zandvoort, where Ferrari has limited practice time during the Sprint format and must understand its package quickly. The Scuderia is simultaneously continuing work on both aerodynamics and its power unit, with further SF-26 and engine development already under way.
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari is one step from where it should be
Lewis Hamilton’s satisfaction becomes even clearer when he looks at Ferrari’s wider position. Returning to a consistent fight near the front is a starting point rather than the final objective, and his focus remains on completing the last step required to put the Scuderia where he believes it belongs.
“It’s great to come back from the break and find ourselves in a situation where we’re fully in the fight with the top four teams, I’m second in the championship and Ferrari is just one step away from where it should be. Our objective is to make that step.”
“It won’t be easy against Mercedes, or against the other two teams either, because I think they’ve all done a great job.”
One of the challenges remains Ferrari’s outright power-unit performance, an area that has become an important part of the team’s technical push. The broader picture behind the Ferrari 2026 power-unit deficit illustrates why Maranello is continuing to pursue gains alongside its aerodynamic programme.
Hamilton still adapting to the demands of the 2026 F1 cars
The management of the 2026 Formula 1 cars remains demanding for the drivers as well. Lewis Hamilton was among those who raised legitimate questions about the new technical generation, and halfway through the season he admits that many of the procedures required behind the wheel have still not become instinctive.
“It’s still not natural. We still have to work on it. This year, with these regulations, there’s much more work for both the team and the drivers.”
“At the same time, we’re trying to go deeper and deeper into the work with the team, already looking at the programmes for 2027, the regulation changes and the steps we’ll need to make. There’s a lot to do, but I’m enjoying it. I’m really enjoying being in this team.”
The work therefore extends well beyond the immediate races remaining on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar. Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are already considering how the project can continue evolving into 2027 while trying to maximise their current championship opportunity.
A very different summer break for Lewis Hamilton
If Ferrari has changed compared with 12 months ago, Lewis Hamilton says he also approached the summer break in a completely different way. Rather than disconnecting fully from preparation, he used the three-week pause as an opportunity to arrive at Zandvoort in the best possible condition.
“It was the most unusual summer break I’ve ever had in all the seasons of my Formula 1 career. Normally you go away, take one or two weeks off, and there’s a bit of partying as well. This time I saw the break as an opportunity to make another step forward. I trained for three weeks.”
“I think I’ve come back from the break in the best physical condition I’ve ever been in during the 20 years, or however many it is, that I’ve been here. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done.”
Lewis Hamilton also used the shutdown to analyse his first half of the season in detail, separating the aspects he wants to retain from those he wants to leave behind.
“I analysed a lot of what we did in the first part of the year, the things we did well, the things we want to leave behind, and I also looked at the commitments I’ll have ahead of me, removing the things that ultimately don’t help me get where I want to be.”
Lewis Hamilton summarised that preparation with an important distinction: “I came back feeling definitely rejuvenated. But it’s a different feeling: rather than relaxed, I feel energised.”
Zandvoort could be Lewis Hamilton’s final chance to add another F1 circuit win
There is one more target adding motivation to Lewis Hamilton’s Dutch Grand Prix weekend. The British driver has won at almost every circuit that has featured during his long Formula 1 career, but Zandvoort remains missing from that list. With the Dutch Grand Prix preparing to leave the Formula 1 calendar, this weekend could represent his final opportunity to change that.
“I don’t think I’ve ever won here. I’ve won at practically all the other circuits, but I don’t remember managing it at Zandvoort and I absolutely want to change that situation.”
The final Dutch Grand Prix also carries special significance because of the extraordinary home support enjoyed by Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the atmosphere generated by the Dutch fans and the challenge of mastering
Leave a Reply