Lewis Hamilton has already surpassed his entire 2025 Ferrari points total after only 10 races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, underlining how dramatically his position at Maranello has changed. With 159 points, five podiums and his first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari, the seven-time world champion has moved into second place in the drivers’ standings and remains involved in the title contest.
The numbers offer a sharp contrast with Lewis Hamilton’s difficult first campaign in red. His performance level now gives Ferrari two regular front-running drivers and strengthens the argument for retaining its established pairing, even as Oliver Bearman and Rafael Camara continue to progress towards possible opportunities with the senior team.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari turnaround is clear in the 2026 statistics
At the corresponding stage of the previous season, immediately after the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future appeared considerably less certain. Charles Leclerc had collected five podium finishes despite often competing with a car that was behind McLaren, Red Bull and, on some weekends, Mercedes. That sequence included Charles Leclerc’s second place at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, by contrast, had not reached a Grand Prix podium. His strongest Sunday results had been fourth places at Imola, Spielberg and Silverstone, leaving a considerable gap between his expectations and what he had managed to achieve during his first months with Ferrari.
One year later, the picture has been transformed. Lewis Hamilton claimed his maiden Ferrari Grand Prix victory in Barcelona, which was also the team’s first win of the 2026 season. After 10 rounds, he has accumulated five podium finishes and 159 points. His fourth place at Spa helped move him back into second position in the championship, even though Ferrari left Belgium believing an even stronger result had been possible.
That points total is already three higher than the 156 Lewis Hamilton scored across the whole of his 2025 campaign. Under Formula 1’s new technical regulations, the British driver has produced the consistency and race results that were missing during his first season at Maranello.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc give Ferrari strength across both cars
Charles Leclerc has also overcome a difficult spell at the beginning of the season. His victory at Silverstone was his first of the year and took his 2026 podium total to four, ensuring Ferrari’s challenge is no longer dependent primarily on one side of the garage.
That represents an important change from 2025, when Charles Leclerc carried much of Ferrari’s podium challenge while Lewis Hamilton struggled to adapt. Ferrari can now rely on two race winners capable of scoring heavily, a balance that could prove decisive in both championships. The situation also reinforces the view that Ferrari must maximise Lewis Hamilton’s contribution to its constructors’ title campaign.
Lewis Hamilton’s results also strengthen his position within the team. While descriptions of his leadership inside the garage are difficult to quantify, his on-track contribution is evident: five podiums, a victory and a points total that has already eclipsed his full debut season. On that evidence, there is little immediate sporting reason for team principal Frédéric Vasseur to consider breaking up the current driver pairing.
What Lewis Hamilton’s form could mean for Oliver Bearman
The improvement raises a longer-term question for Ferrari’s driver programme. Oliver Bearman remains one of Maranello’s leading prospects, but Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence makes an imminent opening at the senior team less likely. The 21-year-old could therefore spend at least one more season developing away from Ferrari while continuing to build Formula 1 experience with Haas.
Oliver Bearman has recently impressed by outperforming the vastly more experienced Esteban Ocon. He has also openly acknowledged that racing for Ferrari remains his ambition and that his ultimate objective is to win in red. That public commitment pushes back against paddock speculation linking him with a possible Red Bull future, although it does not provide formal confirmation about where he will race in the longer term.
The wider 2027 Formula 1 driver market remains uncertain, and Ferrari must balance the value of its current drivers against the need to preserve a realistic pathway for its academy prospects.
Rafael Camara adds another option to Ferrari’s future
Rafael Camara is also moving closer to Formula 1, giving Ferrari another highly regarded young driver to consider. Together with Oliver Bearman, the Brazilian forms part of a promising development pipeline that could eventually provide Frédéric Vasseur with several options when Ferrari next needs to reshape its race line-up.
For the moment, however, Ferrari’s present appears as encouraging as its future. Charles Leclerc has returned to the top step of the podium, while Lewis Hamilton is producing the victories, consistency and championship numbers expected of a seven-time world champion. Ferrari no longer has to place the full weight of its ambitions on one driver, and that may be the most important change of all.
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