Vitantonio Liuzzi delivers blunt verdict on Ferrari’s championship chances and Lewis Hamilton’s struggles. Vitantonio Liuzzi doubts Ferrari’s 2026 F1 title chances and questions Lewis Hamilton’s form.

As happens every season, enormous attention and curiosity continue to surround Ferrari as fans and pundits try to determine whether this will finally be the year the Maranello team ends a title drought that has now stretched close to two decades. The major technical regulation changes introduced this season were seen as a huge opportunity for the Scuderia, but so far Ferrari has had to bow to Mercedes’ return to the top of Formula 1.

Liuzzi’s doubts

We discussed Ferrari’s current situation exclusively with former Formula 1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi, who now frequently serves on the FIA stewarding panel during Grand Prix weekends.

“Ferrari fighting for the title? I hope so. But I’m not very optimistic because, unfortunately, over the years we’ve become used to seeing Ferrari develop a little more slowly than their rivals during the course of the season,” Vitantonio Liuzzi explained. “That said, they are still always a team capable of fighting for the top three places in the championship.

“From the outside, it’s easy to criticise, but improving is never simple because your competitors are not standing still. Ferrari always shows that it can be up there at the front, but unfortunately not quite enough to fight for the title. Still, I hope I’m wrong. Maybe we’ll see Ferrari join the championship battle in the second half of the season.”

An age-related issue?

So far at Ferrari, the stronger results have come from Charles Leclerc, while Lewis Hamilton, despite finally breaking through with a podium finish in China, still appears to be finding life more difficult compared to his Monegasque team mate.

“Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest champions in the history of Formula 1, but I think in the end age does make a difference,” Liuzzi said. “Once you pass a certain point, even if you remain physically at the top level, mentally and in terms of reflexes I believe there is a natural and physiological decline that prevents you from delivering exactly the performances you want.

“Lewis Hamilton still fights like a bulldog and gives absolutely everything, but Charles Leclerc does it with far greater ease. And this is not a question of pure talent, because Lewis Hamilton has still been one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history.”

Vitantonio Liuzzi’s candid analysis hits on the dual internal crises that have historically plagued Ferrari during a major regulatory transition. Balancing the immense task of out-developing an agile rival like Mercedes while simultaneously managing a shifting intra-team hierarchy is a delicate tightrope walk for any team principal. While Charles Leclerc continues to showcase the effortless, razor-sharp instincts of a driver in his prime, Lewis Hamilton’s early-season adaptation struggles suggest that even the sport’s most decorated legends cannot entirely escape the realities of Father Time. If Ferrari is to mount a genuine second-half resurgence, Fred Vasseur‘s technical department must not only fast-track their aerodynamic updates but also unlock a setup window that restores Hamilton’s signature confidence before the championship gap becomes entirely insurmountable.