Lewis Hamilton has required only ten Grands Prix in 2026 to score more points than he collected across his entire first Formula 1 season with Ferrari. By finishing fourth at the Belgian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion increased his total to 159 points, three more than he managed over all 24 rounds of the difficult 2025 campaign.
The statistic offers a clear measure of Lewis Hamilton’s progress since arriving at Maranello. Although fourth place at Spa-Francorchamps left him outside the podium positions, the result moved him back into second place in the Drivers’ Championship and strengthened his status as the closest challenger to championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Spa delivers another milestone for Lewis Hamilton
Spa-Francorchamps has rarely disappointed Lewis Hamilton during his Formula 1 career. The Belgian Grand Prix was the tenth round of the 2026 season and the final event before the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be followed by the summer break.
It was therefore fitting that Lewis Hamilton reached an important Ferrari milestone at one of the circuits where he has enjoyed considerable success. His fourth-place finish came at the end of a complicated weekend, but it ensured he had already exceeded his complete 2025 points tally before the championship had reached its halfway stage.
Ferrari also left Belgium with Charles Leclerc in second place after the Monegasque narrowly missed out on victory to Kimi Antonelli. The team’s overall performance was encouraging, even though neither driver was able to defeat the Mercedes race winner. The full weekend is covered in the Ferrari Belgian Grand Prix review.
Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 points compared with his first Ferrari season
Lewis Hamilton currently has 159 points and occupies second place in the Drivers’ Championship. That total is already three points higher than the 156 he accumulated across the entire 24-race 2025 season.
His first year with Ferrari proved particularly difficult after a long and highly successful spell at Mercedes. For the first time in his Formula 1 career, Lewis Hamilton completed a full season without either a Grand Prix victory or a podium finish.
The British driver also suffered three consecutive Q1 eliminations during that campaign, underlining the extent of his difficulties in adapting to Ferrari and extracting consistent performance from the car.
The picture changed decisively in 2026. Lewis Hamilton finally experienced the emotion of winning a Grand Prix in Ferrari red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where he secured his first victory for the Scuderia. That result made an important contribution to his current championship position as the closest pursuer of Kimi Antonelli, the driver who replaced him at Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton’s consistency strengthens his championship position
The points comparison is not the only statistic highlighting Lewis Hamilton’s improved campaign. Across the opening ten Grands Prix of 2026, he is the only driver to have completed every racing lap.
Lewis Hamilton has also scored points at every Grand Prix weekend, while sixth place remains his worst race result of the season. That consistency has allowed him to remain firmly involved near the top of the standings even when Ferrari has not possessed the fastest package.
His recovery to fourth at Spa maintained that sequence despite a weekend complicated by an FP3 accident and a race in which Ferrari was unable to complete its intended front-wing adjustment during his pit stop. That missed change contributed to the balance difficulties Lewis Hamilton experienced during the final stint, as explained in the analysis of how the front-wing issue affected his Belgian GP pace.
Managing the new-generation power units has also become an important performance factor for Ferrari and Mercedes in 2026. The complex relationship between electrical energy deployment, combustion-engine output and thermal management has created significant challenges, particularly at circuits such as Spa. Those difficulties are examined further in the overview of why the 2026 Formula 1 power units are so demanding.
Lewis Hamilton leads Charles Leclerc in qualifying head-to-head
Lewis Hamilton has not yet secured a Grand Prix pole position in 2026, but he currently holds the advantage over Charles Leclerc in their direct qualifying comparison.
Across the first ten rounds, Charles Leclerc has started behind his Ferrari team-mate on six occasions. The statistic is especially notable because qualifying was one of Lewis Hamilton’s most difficult areas during his first season at Maranello.
His improved Saturday performances have helped establish stronger foundations for his races and reduced the need for repeated recoveries through the field. Combined with his perfect record for completed race laps and his consistent points finishes, that progress explains why Lewis Hamilton has climbed into second place in the championship.
Hungarian GP offers Lewis Hamilton another major opportunity
Lewis Hamilton now heads to Budapest with momentum and an exceptional personal record at the Hungaroring. The British driver has won the Hungarian Grand Prix eight times and taken nine pole positions at the circuit, making it one of the most successful venues of his career.
Ferrari cannot assume that the SF-26 will automatically suit Hungary, as Charles Leclerc has already warned. Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton’s history at the track and his substantially stronger 2026 form provide legitimate reasons for optimism.
After surpassing his entire 2025 points total in only ten races, Lewis Hamilton will now attempt to reduce the gap to Kimi Antonelli and continue a Ferrari recovery that has already produced one victory and a place among the leading championship contenders. Session times and broadcast information are available in the complete 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix timetable.
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