Hamilton reveals he pushed Ferrari to be bold as 2026 revival transforms his mood

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he pushed Ferrari to take creative risks with its 2026 car design, crediting the team’s willingness to listen to his input as a key factor behind his dramatically improved form in the opening phase of the new season.

Hamilton’s first year at Maranello in 2025 was widely regarded as a disappointment, shaped by a car he had no hand in designing and a garage environment that took time to settle. Ferrari had effectively frozen development on its 2025 challenger as early as April of that year, redirecting resources toward the 2026 regulations overhaul — a decision that left Hamilton adapting to machinery that did not suit him and offered little room for the changes he was requesting.

The team dynamic has since shifted considerably. Riccardo Adami stepped down as Hamilton’s race engineer and has been replaced by Carlo Santi, whom Hamilton has nicknamed the “Italian Bono” — a nod to his long-serving Mercedes engineer Pete Bonnington. Hamilton says the relationship with Santi and the broader Ferrari operation now feels genuinely aligned.

“It’s been a great first part of the season, it could of course be better, but I think it’s been a real positive feeling,” Hamilton said. “The harmony between myself and my personal team and the racing team is better than it’s ever been. It’s taken us a good year to get to know each other and we’re more aligned than ever, and I think this is a good foundation for us to then build on moving forwards.”

Hamilton described spending much of 2025 “shouting from the top of the mountain” in an effort to influence Ferrari’s direction, only to find that the development window had already closed. Fully embedded in the team’s 2026 programme from the outset, he says his feedback has now been acted upon by the design team, and that he actively encouraged Ferrari to be adventurous in how it approached the new technical era.

“There’s still a huge amount of work to do, there’s still improvements we need to make,” he added. “In terms of galvanising the troops, they’re all so passionate — you go back to the factory and I’ve never seen a love for a team like it. It’s just about directing that, steering it in the right direction. That’s what I try to do.”

Ferrari has drawn attention for several distinctive design choices on its 2026 car, and Hamilton’s comments suggest those decisions were made with his encouragement — a notable contrast to the passive role he played throughout his debut campaign with the Scuderia.