Riccardo Patrese explains why a rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton can lead Ferrari to the title. Patrese impressed by Lewis Hamilton’s mindset and Ferrari’s progress.

Patrese: “It’s great to hear Hamilton confident about racing for another five years. Ferrari has built a great car”

The former driver was surprised by the SF-26

Lewis Hamilton did not enjoy his strongest weekend of the season in Miami, but the damage sustained during his opening-lap contact with Franco Colapinto may have been overlooked when assessing the Ferrari driver’s performance. At the very least, that incident was not always given enough consideration when analysing the seven-time world champion’s difficult race.

The relatively anonymous weekend in Florida was enough to reignite speculation about Hamilton’s future, with some reports even suggesting that the Briton had become disillusioned and could be considering retirement.

However, Lewis Hamilton firmly dismissed those rumours in Canada. Not only did he categorically reject any suggestion of stepping away from Formula 1, but he also delivered another strong performance, securing his second podium finish of the season.

Patrese welcomes Hamilton’s commitment

Former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese admitted he was pleased to hear Hamilton speak so confidently about his future in the sport and believes the Ferrari driver still has plenty to offer.

“What I really liked was when, before the race, journalists asked him whether he would retire at the end of the season and he replied, ‘Forget it. You’ll see me racing for at least another five years.’ That means he has no desire to leave, and if he is enjoying himself, his performances can improve,” Patrese explained.

The Italian was speaking to F1 Hospitality provider Vision4Sport, which, in partnership with BWT Alpine, offers an exclusive Monaco yacht experience during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

Ferrari has exceeded expectations

According to Patrese, Hamilton now looks like a completely different driver compared to the version seen during the difficult 2025 campaign. In his view, Ferrari’s competitiveness has played a major role in that transformation.

“Ferrari has surprised me,” Patrese added. “I didn’t expect them to be as strong as they seem right now. They appear to be a little behind when it comes to engine performance, but apart from that, they have a very good car.”

The former Williams and Benetton driver believes the SF-26 is among the strongest cars on the grid through the corners and has the foundations needed to challenge at the front.

“In the corners, their car is the best alongside Mercedes and McLaren. The chassis is good. Perhaps, if they continue to improve, they could genuinely return to fighting for the championship.”

While Ferrari may still have work to do in closing the gap in power unit performance, Patrese’s assessment highlights the significant progress made by the Maranello team. With Lewis Hamilton showing renewed motivation and the SF-26 proving increasingly competitive, Ferrari’s hopes of mounting a sustained title challenge appear far more realistic than many expected at the start of the season.