Nico Rosberg has reassessed his previous concerns over Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying speed after the Ferrari driver produced a major turnaround during the 2026 Formula 1 season. Hamilton is now level with Charles Leclerc at seven apiece in their Ferrari qualifying head-to-head, a striking change from the 19-5 score that went against him last season.
The comparison carries particular weight because Charles Leclerc is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s strongest drivers over a single lap. It also contrasts sharply with Rosberg’s assessment from May 2025, when the 2016 world champion questioned whether age was beginning to erode the outright Saturday speed of his former Mercedes teammate.
Nico Rosberg changes his view of Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying pace
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg acknowledged that Hamilton’s qualifying performance had recovered significantly. He explained that the seven-time world champion appeared to have lost some of that edge over the previous two seasons but had found a way to restore it, with qualifying once again becoming a strong part of his game.
Rosberg still considers race performance Hamilton’s stronger area, but he described the improvement over one lap as impressive. That represents a clear shift from his assessment in 2025, when he argued that even the greatest drivers eventually lose some speed with age and suggested Hamilton, then 40, might be reaching that stage.
Sky presenter Simon Lazenby brought those earlier comments back into the discussion in Spain, asking Rosberg how they could be reconciled with the level Hamilton is now showing. The answer was effectively that Hamilton had reversed the decline Rosberg believed he had identified.
The development can be followed throughout the seven-time champion’s season in ScuderiaFans’ dedicated Lewis Hamilton Ferrari coverage.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tied 7-7 in Ferrari qualifying battle
The statistics underline why Rosberg’s view has changed. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are tied 7-7 in qualifying this season, despite the Monegasque’s formidable reputation for extracting performance over one lap. In 2025, the corresponding Ferrari qualifying score finished 19-5 against Hamilton.
Rosberg believes Hamilton’s broader 2026 form is also creating a serious challenge for Leclerc. He argued that the Briton is operating close to his best again and noted that while the two Ferrari drivers are level in qualifying, Hamilton has held the stronger position in races.
The former Mercedes driver linked that pressure to mistakes from Leclerc, pointing specifically to the Italian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc crashed out at the end of lap two, shortly after an aggressive opening-chicane battle in which Lewis Hamilton was forced into the gravel. Rosberg felt those early errors highlighted the need for Leclerc to eliminate costly mistakes while being pushed by a highly competitive teammate.
Hamilton remains without a Ferrari pole but ranks among 2026’s quickest qualifiers
Hamilton has yet to take his first pole position as a Ferrari driver, but his underlying qualifying numbers remain strong. Across the season, he has been the third-quickest driver on average in qualifying, with a mean deficit of 0.367 seconds to pole position.
Barcelona also produced a significant milestone. Hamilton became the 13th-oldest driver in Formula 1 history to start from the front row and only the second driver aged 40 or over to achieve that feat since 1994, alongside Fernando Alonso.
Those numbers make the contrast with Rosberg’s earlier concern particularly notable. Rather than qualifying becoming an obvious weakness in 2026, Hamilton has kept pace with one of the grid’s recognised specialists and remained among the strongest performers over a single lap.
Hamilton still leads Leclerc despite Madrid retirement
The Spanish Grand Prix ended badly for Hamilton after a brake-related retirement at Madring, but the problem was technical rather than performance-related. Ferrari later identified the cause of Lewis Hamilton’s Madrid brake failure, which delivered his first retirement and first zero-score of the 2026 season.
Despite that setback, Hamilton remains 24 points ahead of Leclerc. The season has therefore developed very differently from the picture Rosberg was considering in 2025, when declining qualifying performance appeared to be one of the major questions surrounding the veteran.
For Rosberg, the evidence now points in the opposite direction. Hamilton has recovered enough Saturday speed to match Leclerc across qualifying while maintaining an advantage in the championship battle between the two Ferrari drivers, turning what once looked like a potentially age-related weakness into one of the most notable aspects of his 2026 campaign.
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