A Season That Started Poorly
The end of last season had reasonably given hope to Scuderia Ferrari and its passionate fans that the team could be among the main contenders for the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship. However, the progress made by McLaren has unfortunately been significant, and after 11 races, the Prancing Horse has yet to claim a single victory or pole position. Certainly, four podium finishes overall cannot be considered a satisfactory haul, despite Ferrari currently sitting in second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
The first major upgrade to the Ferrari SF-25 arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix, featuring a new floor design. Additionally, a revised rear suspension is expected to debut in the coming weeks. In short, work continues at Ferrari’s Maranello factory on this season’s car, despite hopes for the championship having diminished to a mere flicker. Against this backdrop, Lewis Hamilton has been persistently encouraging the team over the past month to redirect its focus and energy toward the 2026 car development.
A Renewed Appeal
Lewis Hamilton’s repeated insistence, including during the post-race press conference at the Red Bull Ring, raises questions about Ferrari’s development strategy and workflow at the factory.
These were Lewis Hamilton’s words last Sunday in Spielberg: “We should soon fully focus on developing the 2026 car, or at least as soon as possible. I’m sure all the teams are already doing this; for example, I know that Mercedes is already focused on next year.”
His comments sound like a warning, or at least highlight a delay and a certain stubbornness in trying to improve the SF-25—a situation the seven-time World Champion is struggling to fully understand. Lewis Hamilton further added regarding the 2026 Formula 1 campaign: “The key will be developing the power unit and making sure we find the right philosophy for next year concerning the suspension and everything else. I’m working closely with the engineers to fix some of this car’s issues because some problems must be solved.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion concluded ahead of the British Grand Prix.
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