Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari turnaround: From a ‘nightmare’ 2025 to a competitive 2026

April 29, 2026 Aksel Kryhlmand

Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated move to Ferrari was meant to herald a new era, yet his debut 2025 Formula 1 season proved to be a stark and challenging introduction to life in red. Now, in 2026, a rejuvenated Hamilton appears to be finding his stride, showcasing a significant upturn in performance that suggests his Maranello dream may yet ignite.

A difficult debut: The 2025 season

The 2025 season, Hamilton's first after 12 storied years and six world championships with Mercedes, was a brutal awakening. He candidly described it as "the worst of his career" and "a nightmare," even admitting he "couldn't wait to get away from all this" by the season's end, according to Sportsnaut. The statistics painted a grim picture:

He failed to secure a single Grand Prix podium, a career first.
In Las Vegas, he qualified last on merit, an unprecedented event in his 19-year career.
Teammate Charles Leclerc outqualified Hamilton 19 to 5.
The final points gap between Leclerc and Hamilton stood at 86.

The struggles were so pronounced that Ferrari chairman John Elkann publicly urged Hamilton to "talk less and drive more." A significant factor was the SF-25 car itself, which was designed and built without Hamilton's input, forcing the 41-year-old to adapt to a machine entirely foreign to his driving style after years of Mercedes familiarity. Ferrari had also effectively ceased development on the SF-25 mid-season to focus on the following year's challenger.

A fresh start: Building the SF-26

The 2026 season brought with it a clean slate, thanks to new F1 regulations introducing revised power units and active aerodynamics. Crucially, this meant a completely new car, the SF-26, which Hamilton had a direct hand in developing. This input, combined with an intense personal regimen, has been transformative. Hamilton revealed his pre-season training for 2026 was "the most intense he's ever had," a decision he made on Christmas Day, as reported by Yahoo Sports. "I definitely feel like I'm back to my best, both mentally and physically," Hamilton stated after the Chinese Grand Prix, also noting "I still think there's room to improve." He has also been working with a temporary race engineer, Carlo Santi, with Cedric Michel-Grosjean expected to take on the role permanently.

Finding form: The 2026 season

Three rounds into the 2026 season, Hamilton's resurgence is evident. He has amassed 41 points, marking his best start to a season since 2023 and surpassing his points tally from the first five races of 2025. His results include:

Fourth in Australia
Third in China
Sixth in Japan

The third-place finish in China was particularly significant, marking his first Ferrari Grand Prix podium after 25 races with the team. While teammate Charles Leclerc, 28, currently holds third in the drivers' standings with 49 points, eight ahead of Hamilton in fourth, the gap is considerably smaller than in 2025. Leclerc still holds a 3-0 qualifying advantage over Hamilton this season, but the Monegasque driver acknowledged Hamilton's performance after China, stating he "deserves it more than I do on a weekend like this." Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has also affirmed his commitment to letting both drivers race wheel-to-wheel, believing it's "the best way to build up a team." Ferrari heads into the upcoming Miami Grand Prix second in the constructors' standings, having achieved a podium in every round so far this season. For Hamilton, who has won in Miami previously, the race presents another opportunity to continue his upward trajectory and further cement his place within the Scuderia. Sources: sportsnaut.com, www.formula1.com, sports.yahoo.com