Lewis Hamilton has urged Ferrari to prioritise securing second place in the 2026 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship before turning its full attention towards 2027. With three races remaining, the seven-time world champion believes the Maranello team must protect its 95-point advantage over Red Bull while addressing the engine power deficit he considers the biggest obstacle to a championship challenge next season.
Ferrari has found itself under intense scrutiny during recent race weekends. While its on-track performances still require improvement, much of the attention has centred on the wheel-to-wheel battles between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, alongside the media controversy surrounding the Italian team. Against that backdrop, Lewis Hamilton has once again stressed the importance of teamwork, insisting that everyone at Ferrari must remain united in the fight to secure second place in the championship.
Although Ferrari has not won a world championship since 2008, the immediate objective is to consolidate its current position behind Mercedes. With the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles already out of reach, finishing runner-up would still represent an important achievement for the Scuderia and its employees.
Lewis Hamilton insists Ferrari must secure second place before focusing on 2027
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Lewis Hamilton was asked whether Ferrari should now shift its attention towards the 2027 season, given that neither world championship remains within reach.
The British driver made it clear that securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship should remain the team’s immediate priority, particularly because of what that result would mean for the people working at Maranello.
“We need to work hard to make sure we hold on to second place in the Constructors’ Championship, because that has an impact on everyone at the factory,” Lewis Hamilton explained.
“They really deserve that position. So we definitely need to work hard over the next few races. In the meantime, we’ll go to the factory next week and then start working on where we want to get to.”
Ferrari currently holds a 95-point advantage over Red Bull, leaving the Italian team in a strong position with three Grands Prix remaining. However, the recent comparison between Ferrari and Red Bull over the last four races highlights why Lewis Hamilton does not want the team to lose focus before the season concludes.
Protecting second place would also reward the efforts of Ferrari’s workforce after another demanding campaign, even if the ultimate objective of winning the world championship has once again proved unattainable.
The wider competitive picture, including Ferrari’s performance relative to Mercedes and Red Bull, can be explored through the Ferrari versus Formula 1 rivals statistics, which track the team’s results and performance against its main competitors.
Ferrari’s 2026 progress offers hope despite Mercedes dominance
At the beginning of the year, Ferrari had been widely regarded as the leading favourite for the championship. However, Mercedes and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have demonstrated their superiority throughout the campaign, turning what had initially appeared to be a promising opportunity into another disappointing season for Ferrari supporters.
Nevertheless, the Maranello team has made significant progress during 2026, providing encouragement that it could become a genuine championship contender in 2027.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on both titles, Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari already possesses an excellent car and praised the engineers responsible for its development.
“I think fundamentally we have a fantastic car, and that’s thanks to an incredible group of people at the factory who are really intelligent and have made the right decisions,” Lewis Hamilton continued.
“As I said before, we’ve been innovators this year. We’ve introduced things on the car that everyone else has often followed. It’s just that we know we’re at a disadvantage in terms of power, and that’s something we have to live with. We need to catch up for next year.”
His comments underline the contrast between Ferrari’s progress in developing its car and the limitations imposed by its power unit. While the team has introduced innovative solutions that Lewis Hamilton believes other manufacturers have subsequently adopted, the British driver remains convinced that Ferrari needs more power to compete consistently at the front.
That weakness has already emerged as a central concern in Ferrari’s preparations for the next championship. The latest FIA ADUO ruling and its implications for Ferrari’s 2027 engine development provide additional context for the technical challenge facing the Italian manufacturer.
Lewis Hamilton identifies Ferrari engine power as the biggest priority for 2027
Looking ahead to next season, Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari must address its engine performance deficit if it wants to challenge Mercedes and its other rivals for the world championship.
The seven-time world champion acknowledged that reliability has been a positive aspect of Ferrari’s power unit, but insisted that the team needs to close the gap in outright performance.
“I think the engine is probably the number one priority. We have reliability, which is good. But if we were on a level playing field with everyone else in terms of power, we’d be fighting for the championship this year, and we know that very well. So it’s important to fix that and close the gap.”
Lewis Hamilton’s assessment makes clear that he considers the power deficit a decisive factor in Ferrari’s inability to fight for the 2026 title. Despite the strengths he sees in the car and the progress achieved by the engineers, he believes the team cannot fully exploit its potential without a more competitive engine.
The problem is particularly significant because Ferrari has already demonstrated that it can make important improvements in other areas of the car. However, the remaining performance deficit continues to limit its overall competitiveness against the leading teams.
As Ferrari prepares for 2027, the scale of Ferrari’s remaining engine deficit despite its 2026 upgrades illustrates the work still required to close the gap to its rivals.
Ferrari faces two priorities in the final three races of 2026
For Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s immediate and longer-term objectives are closely connected. The team must continue working together to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship while preparing the improvements necessary to compete for the title in 2027.
That means maintaining its advantage over Red Bull during the final three rounds, beginning with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while ensuring that the lessons learned from the current season contribute to next year’s development programme.
Lewis Hamilton’s confidence in Ferrari’s chassis, innovation and engineering workforce provides encouragement, but his assessment of the power unit leaves little doubt about where he believes the greatest improvement is required.
After another season without a world championship, Ferrari still has something important to fight for in 2026. Securing second place would reward the team’s efforts, while closing the engine performance gap could determine whether Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have the machinery required to challenge for the biggest prizes in 2027.
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