Lewis Hamilton has expressed his desire to influence the development of Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car, stating that he hopes it will reflect his driving style more closely. This comes amid a challenging debut season with the Scuderia, where the seven-time world champion has yet to secure a podium finish.
Hamilton admitted that he has struggled to adapt to the SF-25’s characteristics, which he finds difficult to manage and not suited to his preferences. While his teammate Charles Leclerc has managed four podiums and adapted well to the car he helped develop over recent years, Hamilton has been experimenting with various setups to no avail and has now gravitated toward Leclerc’s preferred configuration.
“It’s a tough car to drive and not the kind of balance I want to deal with in the future,” Hamilton said. “I’m working closely with Loic Serra and the factory team to ensure next year’s car has some of my DNA in it — something more aligned with my driving needs.”
At the British Grand Prix, Hamilton equalled his best finish of the season with fourth place, while Leclerc struggled in the wet and finished outside the points. Despite a difficult race, Hamilton remained optimistic, noting that there were valuable insights gained that can contribute to the design direction of the 2026 car.
“There’s a lot we can learn from a race like this,” he added. “I now have a clearer understanding of what shouldn’t be built into next year’s car. The current one becomes especially difficult in mixed or wet conditions.”
Hamilton concluded by highlighting the encouraging signs from Ferrari’s performance in the dry conditions during practice and qualifying at Silverstone, where both cars were competitive and only tenths off pole.
