Hamilton says new Ferrari carries his ‘DNA’ as he resets for 2026

Lewis Hamilton enters the 2026 Formula One season insisting that last year’s disappointment is firmly behind him, and that Ferrari’s new challenger feels more like his own creation.

According to ESPN reporter Nate Saunders, Hamilton said during pre-season testing in Bahrain that the team’s latest car contains elements shaped by his simulator work and technical feedback over the past several months, indicating he feels at home in the new Ferrari car.

The seven-time world champion failed to score a grand prix podium in 2025, his first season with Ferrari. It marked one of the most difficult campaigns of his career and coincided with a broader downturn in performance for the Italian team. Ferrari chose to redirect significant development resources toward the sweeping 2026 regulation overhaul earlier than several rivals, a strategic gamble now coming into focus.

A winter reset after a bruising year

Speaking to reporters in Bahrain, in comments reported by ESPN, Hamilton described the off-season as a period of rebuilding and shaking off 2025

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"I've obviously gone through quite a bit and you know left everything ... all of last year's behind me," he said.

Hamilton explained that stepping back from digital distractions and reorganising parts of his inner circle helped him regain clarity.

"I spent a lot of time rebuilding over this winter, refocusing, really getting my body and my mind to a much better place," he said, adding that he feels "personally in the best place" he has been in for some time.

Beyond the mental reset, Hamilton emphasized his closer involvement in shaping Ferrari’s 2026 car. Unlike the 2025 machine, which he inherited after joining from Mercedes, this year’s model reflects months of simulator input and development discussions.

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"This is a car that I've been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last you know ten months, eight months and so like a bit of my DNA is within it so I'm, you know, I'm more connected to this one for sure," Hamilton said.

A new dynamic inside the garage

Part of the internal reshuffle has included changes within Hamilton’s engineering group. He is now working with a new race engineer following what appeared, at times, to be a tense radio relationship with Riccardo Adami during the 2025 season.

Ferrari’s leadership has also pointed to structural adjustments behind the scenes as the team adapts to the new technical era. The 2026 rules introduce major changes to both chassis design and power unit architecture, placing added emphasis on hybrid systems and sustainable fuels. For Ferrari, it represents an opportunity to reset competitively after falling short of championship contention last year.

Early testing form in Bahrain has offered cautious optimism, although lap times in pre-season are notoriously difficult to interpret. Even so, Hamilton has appeared visibly more relaxed in the paddock compared with the frustration that marked much of his debut campaign in red.

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Commitment to Ferrari’s long-term rebuild

Hamilton has previously stated that his contract extends beyond 2026, underlining his belief that Ferrari’s revival will take time.

"My belief in the team is still absolutely the same," he said. "I understand the faith in this team and what they're capable of and that's why I joined the team."

He acknowledged that immediate success was never guaranteed.

"I knew it wasn't gonna be an overnight thing where we'd have success immediately ... because I knew it was more often than not is a process," he said, adding that the team has learned significant lessons from 2025.

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"There have been changes that we've made everyone's constantly keen to make improvements and be better and so I think we're working better together than ever before," he said.

For Hamilton, the coming season is not simply about results. It is about validation, proving that his move to Ferrari was more than a symbolic late-career switch, and that both driver and team can grow into Formula One’s new era together.

Sources: ESPN

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