After the checkered flag dropped in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2025, Lewis Hamilton looked and sounded broken.
Even for those who didn’t regard themselves as fans of the seven-time world champion, it was a tough watch and an even tougher listen. Few would have been surprised if he had opted to head for the exit door.
His debut season with Ferrari had been, by his own admission, a “nightmare.” For the first time in a career spanning nearly two decades, Hamilton finished a season without a single.
He was plagued by a complete disconnect with the SF-25 and a painful qualifying deficit to Charles Leclerc. This left him, invariably, mired in the midfield. He cut a dejected figure, and even suggested he had “forgotten how to drive.”
However, as season 2026 approaches, a transformation has unfolded. His “useless” self-assessment of 2025 has been replaced by fire in the Hamilton belly. We’re now seeing a positive and re-focussed Lewis.
While some perceive this as merely pre-season optimism – the same felt by every driver on the grid before Race 1- the Tifosi feel this newfound hope has substance. One based on three factors: technical integration, structural change, and a psychological “hard reset”.
Driving the DNA of the SF-26
The primary source of Hamilton’s renewed confidence is his involvement in the building of the SF-26. In 2025, he inherited a car developed long before his arrival. For 2026, Lewis has been a regular fixture at Maranello since day one of the new regulation cycle. The SF-26 has his DNA embedded in its design.
The new 2026 regs represent the most significant shift in F1 history, moving to a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. For a driver who excels at energy management, tactical racing, and late braking, this new era plays directly to his strengths.
A mindset reclaimed
Perhaps more importantly, Hamilton’s mental state has undergone a huge shift. After the “22 bad weekends” of 2025, he spent the winter break away from the noise. His focus was on what he called a “personal hard reset.”
“For a moment, I forgot who I was,” Hamilton recently admitted. “But I’m reset and refreshed. I know what needs to be done.”
This clarity has been bolstered by a revamped support structure around him. By pushing for key personnel changes—including the hiring of Red Bull’s former head of performance operations, Guillaume Dezoteux—Hamilton has ensured the team is optimised around his specific needs.
A new race engineer for Hamilton is due to be formally announced soon. This follows Ferrari’s decision to move Riccardo Adami to another part of the Ferrari organisation, where he will oversee their young driver programme.
Others inside F1’s inner sanctum, including Williams’ Alex Albon, believe this could be Hamilton’s year.
The verdict
The 2025 season was a humbling year-zero for the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership. Many lessons were learned on both sides.
But he has a car built to his specifications and a mind cleared of last year’s horror show. Now, 2026 isn’t just a new season. It’s potentially the start of the final, perhaps most defining, chapter of his career.
Over to you, Lewis … no pressure!
