Lewis Hamilton revealed he will soon encourage Ferrari to shift focus from their struggling SF-25 to F1’s 2026 regulatory changes as the team’s championship hopes continue to fade, with Charles Leclerc also giving his thoughts.
The seven-time World Champion made the admission following Ferrari’s winless start through nine races, leaving the Italian team 197 points behind constructors’ leaders McLaren. Ferrari had entered the 2025 season with heightened expectations after Hamilton’s arrival from Mercedes and promising late season form in 2024.
Hamilton suggests early focus shift to F1 2026
Speaking in Barcelona, Hamilton admitted his uncertainty about Ferrari’s immediate prospects. “I don’t know, if I’m honest,” he said when asked about the team’s expected pace in upcoming races.
Hamilton acknowledged Ferrari’s development drought, stating: “I don’t know what upgrades we have coming. We haven’t had an upgrade for quite some time.”
Hamilton outlined his strategy for the remainder of the season, revealing his intention to advocate for early preparation for 2026’s regulation changes. “We’ll keep pushing with what we have, but before too soon I’ll be just saying focus on next year,” he explained.
“So building foundations this year, learning about the tools in terms of structure, in terms of our processes, nailing those so when we arrive next year we’ll be with the car that we really want,” Hamilton added.
Hamilton’s focus on Ferrari’s 2026 preparations comes amid speculation about his integration with the team, though he has dismissed suggestions of problems within the team.
Leclerc aware of upcoming development plans
Charles Leclerc, who has secured Ferrari’s three podium finishes this season including two straight podium finishes, expressed awareness of the team’s development pipeline while remaining realistic about championship prospects.
“I don’t want to be thinking so much long-term just because I have no visibility,” Leclerc said. “I mean, I know what’s going to come for us in terms of small adjustments and improvements on the car.“
Leclerc acknowledged the scale of McLaren’s advantage, as did other drivers such as Max Verstappen, stating “On paper it’s going to be a tough one to go and beat McLaren on a year like this where they’ve been so dominant for the first part of the season.”
Charles Leclerc maintained his commitment to the 2025 campaign despite the challenging circumstances, stating “It’s going to be very tough, but I’ll give everything until the end.“
Leclerc outlined his hopes for upcoming developments. “I hope this weekend helps us to do a step in the right direction and then hopefully with new parts as soon as possible we can then take the lead in terms of performance on track at least,” Leclerc explained.
He concluded with a warning about the urgency of Ferrari’s situation. “That will help us to hope for better, but we cannot afford to lose too many races,” Leclerc stated.
Ferrari faces critical decisions about resource allocation as the season progresses, with Hamilton’s approach contrasting Leclerc’s continued focus on 2025 results. The team’s struggles highlight the competitive gap that has emerged since McLaren’s rise to dominance, leaving Ferrari to consider whether prioritizing 2026 F1 regulation preparations over current development represents their best path forward.
