Hamilton says younger F1 drivers grow 'more and more cautious' about racing in the rain

Lewis Hamilton has identified a growing split between F1’s old guard and its newer generation when it comes to racing in the rain, saying younger drivers are becoming “more and more cautious” while veterans like himself are still itching to get on track.

The seven-time world champion made the observation in the wake of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, where a heavy downpour delayed the start by 40 minutes. When racing eventually got underway, all cars were fitted with intermediate tyres rather than full-wets — and a number of drivers were then caught out by a now-infamous software glitch.

“Wet-weather races aren’t the same as we used to have, for sure,” said the 41-year-old Ferrari driver. “I’ve had great races, 2008 in the rain — we ultimately back then had more testing, we did have better tyres for the rain, because we were able to develop more with Bridgestone back in the day.”

Hamilton was candid about the tension between competing viewpoints in the paddock. “I love racing in the rain, personally. I do think the guys running the show are far more cautious, but then again, the young drivers coming in are more and more cautious. Us old-school drivers are like, ‘Let’s get racing’, and more of the youngsters are like, ‘Let’s not race’. So they’re getting two different bits of information.”

He added that extreme conditions are precisely where he believes a driver’s true ability is revealed. “That’s where I’m like, ‘Let’s get going’, under extreme conditions. Because that’s where we really get to test ourselves. Is it more risky? Absolutely. But that’s really where you can make the difference.”

Carlos Sainz offered a different perspective, defending the FIA’s decision-making on the day. “From my side, the time that the FIA gave the green light to go racing was correct given how much it was raining,” the 32-year-old said. “We just tried and we failed, but not because we didn’t want to race in the wet — it’s because some external factor like the software failed. But if it rains, I welcome the rain and it actually gives me a better chance of doing something.”

Isack Hadjar, who ran off into the gravel on the formation lap, pointed to the demands of F1’s new 2026 power units as an additional complication in wet conditions. “There’s two issues,” the 22-year-old Frenchman said, referencing the heavy electrical energy demands of the new machinery as a factor that made the slippery surface even harder to manage.

Sepang represented the first significant competitive running for F1’s new-for-2026 cars, making the chaotic wet conditions an especially steep learning curve for drivers and teams still coming to grips with the machinery.