Ahead of the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP, Lewis Hamilton shared that driving style was not a limiting factor in the ground effect era, attributing issues to adaptation, especially after switching from Mercedes to Ferrari.
After dominating the Turbo-Hybrid era, the introduction of the F1 ground effect generation of cars saw Hamilton struggle to showcase his talent, particularly in his first season at Ferrari. Many attribute this to the Briton’s driving style not aligning with this generation of cars.
Driving style not a limiting factor in the F1 ground effect era
However, the fact that the 7-time F1 Champion managed to win races, such as the 2024 British GP, disproves this theory, says Hamilton, who argues that if his driving style were the issue, he would not have won.
“No, I mean I think people do talk about my driving style not working in the previous car, and for sure I was less happy in the previous car, but I still won races. I’m still able to pull out great races in the US [or] Silverstone, for example. So, I think if your driving style doesn’t suit a generation, you don’t get a win.”
Rather than attributing his challenges to driving style, Hamilton believes it’s a question of adaptability. Referencing his debut season at Ferrari, the 41-year-old explains that set-up-related aspects hampered his performance.
“No, I think it’s just being able to adapt. I think there were many, again, just like last year, there were many elements that just wouldn’t work for me with the set-up that we had here.”
Hamilton is “excited” and “grateful” to see Ferrari implement changes for the 2026 F1 season, even if it took time to get there.
“And it’s taken a long time to get those things changed, and I’m excited to see those things change, and for that, I’m really grateful.”
Hamilton on helping Ferrari “level up”
Talking about his “goal” when he joined Ferrari at the beginning of the 2025 F1 season, Hamilton outlines that he came in with the intention to “observe” and contribute to improvements with the “experience” gathered across almost two decades of racing in F1.
“My goal coming to the team is to come in and observe, see if I can bring 20 years of experience, 7 championships that I’ve won, experience, and input that into an already great organization, and help them level up, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
This year, the hard work the Ferrari driver put in behind the scenes is starting to show results, says Hamilton.
“I’m leaving no stone unturned. I told you last year how much work I was doing in the background to try and help the team navigate and improve, and I’m finally starting to see the future.”
