Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde believes Lewis Hamilton can avoid the 2026 season turning into another major disappointment like his first year at Ferrari in 2025, but only if the Scuderia are willing to give the seven-time world champion a more influential role within the team.
Hamilton fulfilled a lifelong ambition when he joined Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season, completing a move to Maranello that had been described as a childhood dream. However, by the end of the campaign, the British driver regarded his debut year with the Italian team as one of the most difficult of his career. He described the season internally as his worst ever in Formula 1, following a relentless run of technical problems, strategic frustrations, and competitive setbacks.
Although Hamilton claimed victory in the Sprint race in China during the second round of the 2025 season, that early success ultimately proved misleading. Ferrari soon uncovered the true scale of their ride-height issues when Hamilton was disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix, a problem that was never fully resolved across the remainder of the year. As a result, the record 105-time Grand Prix winner failed to secure a single Sunday podium finish, marking the first time in his career that he completed a full season without standing on the rostrum.
Ferrari’s competitive struggles were compounded when team principal Fred Vasseur decided as early as April to halt further development of the 2025 car in order to focus resources on the sweeping 2026 regulation changes. This strategic shift left both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc effectively constrained for the remainder of the season, unable to extract meaningful progress from an increasingly uncompetitive package.
Ferrari need to allow Lewis Hamilton to guide the team in 2026
Despite Ferrari’s difficulties, Charles Leclerc still managed to collect seven Grand Prix podiums in 2025. Nevertheless, the Scuderia ended the season as the only one of Formula 1’s top four teams without a race victory. This represented a dramatic regression compared to 2024, when Ferrari finished just 12 points short of winning the constructors’ championship. By the end of 2025, they had fallen a staggering 435 points behind McLaren.
Van der Garde believes the comprehensive 2026 Formula 1 regulation overhaul, which includes new engine, aerodynamic, chassis, and tyre rules, presents Ferrari with the perfect opportunity to reset after a deeply disappointing campaign. However, he argues that achieving a genuine step forward will require Ferrari to place greater trust in Hamilton’s experience and allow him to actively guide the team’s development direction.
The former Dutch driver acknowledged that he had expected stronger results from Hamilton in 2025 but felt the season had clearly taken a significant mental toll on the veteran. In his view, the arrival of a new season, a new car, and a completely fresh regulatory framework offers Hamilton the chance to reset. Van der Garde stressed that a driver of Hamilton’s calibre and experience can elevate an entire organisation, particularly during periods of major technical change, provided the team is willing to listen and adapt.
Why the 2026 regulations could suit Lewis Hamilton’s driving style
After joining Ferrari from Mercedes, Hamilton attempted to help improve the team by drawing comparisons with the operational standards and working methods he had experienced during his 12 years at Brackley, where he won six world championships. However, it has been widely reported that some figures within Ferrari were resistant to Hamilton’s detailed feedback and critical assessments, viewing his approach as intrusive rather than constructive.
The move to Maranello represented a profound cultural and professional shift for Hamilton, who had never previously raced for a non-British Formula 1 team. Prior to Ferrari, he spent six seasons at McLaren followed by 12 years at Mercedes. His arrival also coincided with the final year of the ground-effect era, a technical philosophy that he had openly struggled to adapt to.
Hamilton’s traditional driving style, which favours late braking and carrying high entry speed into corners, was ill-suited to ground-effect cars that rewarded early braking and conservative corner entry. This mismatch limited his ability to extract performance from the Ferrari package throughout 2025. However, the 2026 regulations are expected to move the sport toward lower downforce levels and a more stop-and-go driving style.
Van der Garde believes these changes could play directly into Hamilton’s strengths. With a greater emphasis on braking performance, traction, and efficient power unit usage, the new technical framework should allow Hamilton to brake later, get back on the throttle earlier, and exploit engine power more effectively. If Ferrari are willing to embrace Hamilton’s guidance and build the team around these principles, 2026 could mark a significant turning point for both the driver and the Scuderia.
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