標籤: Ferrari

He said that on Christmas Day, he had made a specific mental decision about how he would approach this season. He ran 63 miles between the Chinese and Japanese tours. He has been in the factory more. He helped build the SF-26 – something he never had with the car, which made his life miserable last year.

“It’s a huge difference, and a huge undertaking,” Hamilton said of his second winter at Ferrari. “You can arrive and jump in the cockpit, but learning new tools, especially a different culture and a different way that people like to work, and adapting to that.” He left the sentence hanging there. He didn’t need to end it.

One year was left. Year two is considered different. So far it’s a little bit of both.

Controversial 2026 F1 regulations haven’t hurt him

There is one thing working in Lewis Hamilton’s favor: the 2026 rules wiped the slate clean for everyone.

New power units. Active Aerodynamics. A completely different car that no one had driven before February, not Leclerc, not Verstappen, not Antonelli. Hamilton had real input on the SF-26. Sky Sports F1’s David Croft put it bluntly: The fact that Hamilton helped develop this car is no small thing.

The Ferrari is legitimately fast. Heading into the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, he is second in the constructors’ standings. The jumping horse has one platform in each round. The SF-26 is a real car in a way the SF-25 never was.

The point is that the Mercedes is faster. Hamilton is not fourth in the championship because he lost a step – he is fourth because he has been in the third-fastest car most Sundays, seven years behind a teammate with Ferrari DNA. Those are two different problems. Ferrari needs to fix the first one. Hamilton will have to fix the second himself.

Leclerc and Hamilton dynamic at Ferrari

No one is saying it out loud, but the numbers are saying it anyway.

Leclerc, 28, has been at Ferrari since 2019. He knows every engineer, every system, every nuance of how that team operates. He is, at the moment, the closest thing to a Ferrari-bred driver since Schumacher.

Hamilton, 41, has seven championships and has had the greatest statistical Formula 1 career in history. And right now, his teammate is outscoring and outqualifying him, and has been doing so for two seasons in a row.

It wasn’t close in 2025. The difference in 2026 is small – China proved that Hamilton can beat Leclerc on the same day if everything goes right. But Japan proved the gap could still open in a hurry.

After the Chinese Grand Prix in March, Leclerc was candid and generous about his on-track battles.

“I really enjoyed the race. A bit disappointed to lose out on the podium, but on the other hand, I’m happy for Lewis, and I think he deserves it more than me on a weekend like this, where he’s been on top of things more than me…I enjoyed the battle and the only big negative I would say is the difference to Mercedes.”

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was equally positive about having them race wheel-to-wheel. “They’re professionals and I think it makes sense to let them race in this situation… At the end of the day, I think it’s the best way to build a team.”

The moment Ferrari builds a car that can actually win championships, these dynamics are going to force some decisions that no one in Maranello will enjoy making.

Hamilton’s location as he heads to Miami

Hamilton wins in Miami. The Miami crowd came to Formula 1 partly because of him – Netflix documentary drive to survive Years ago turned him into a mainstream sports celebrity beyond motorsport. He fits in well in this city.

He needs this weekend. The championship maths aren’t a crisis – 31 points behind Antonelli with 19 races left is quite manageable. But with Leclerc trailing in two races, a sixth in Japan, and a mediocre race in Miami, an all-too-familiar story about the 41-year-old running out of time will begin to arise.

A strong weekend turns it all around. Ferrari’s upgrade cycle is coming. The car is about to get better. Hamilton knows this circuit.

He came to Ferrari to win the championship. The dream is not dead. But he’s 41, still finding himself on a team in its second season, watching a 19-year-old break his record in the seat he used to own.

The window is not getting bigger. Lewis Hamilton’s Miami Grand Prix performance needs to count.

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hamilton China started looking like itself again – fast on the brakes, comfortable trading pants, quick to count. Lewis Hamilton’s showing at Ferrari is significant after scoring zero podiums in the 2025 season. The seven-time champion is not fading. he is awake.

But Ferrari cannot let that internal battle become every Sunday’s story. Charles Leclerc later admitted that the team probably did not optimize their race as both drivers opted to capture the podium rather than manage the deficit to Mercedes.

“I enjoyed the battle and the only big negative I would say is the gap to Mercedes, who on days like this, we can see they are a big step ahead of everyone else, so we have to work harder.”

Both drivers made the call immediately, and neither one was wrong. But Mercedes crossed the line 25 seconds earlier. That difference does not reduce on its own.

Ferrari needs Suzuka to be fruitful

The Suzuka Circuit is going to offer a valuable lesson for Ferrari, and it is one they are keen to learn. With its fast, flowing layout, this track prioritizes mechanical balance, and Ferrari’s SF-26 has already demonstrated its raw speed. while the team is Introducing a revised rear wing and updated halo winglets for the weekend, it’s holding off on the full upgrade package until Miami. This is no high-risk gamble for Ferrari; It’s like a complete reconnaissance mission.

Due to the upcoming event the results of Round 3 will be more far-reaching than usual. With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix canceled in the wake of the Middle East conflict, the Japanese Grand Prix of Suzuka marks a significant pause in action, with the next event not on the calendar until May. As a result, whatever results Ferrari achieved in Japan would remain the only point of reference for over a month – a long period to grapple with any outstanding questions or concerns about their performance.

The ideal weekend looks something like this: both drivers finish on the podium, Ferrari keeps Mercedes honest for longer periods of time than in Melbourne and Shanghai, and the team walks away with data it can actually use. The Nightmare Edition is another entertaining Hamilton-Leclerc battle in which both of them waste time while Russell and Antonelli race to the front without any interruption.

Through two rounds, Hamilton has at least caught up with Leclerc. Given Charles Leclerc’s position in the sport right now, it says a lot about Lewis Hamilton’s form. The competition between them is real and worth watching. Ferrari just needs to create weapons aimed at Mercedes, not each other.

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Ferrari did exactly that. He created a smaller turbo that spun more efficiently, built a power unit to meet the new regulations, and showed off in Melbourne, with Charles Leclerc going from fourth to first at Turn One. Lewis Hamilton did basically the same thing from the second row in China. Rivals noticed, were outraged, and immediately began lobbying for changes, with George Russell even calling Ferrari “selfish” for preventing further changes in the process.

“We designed the car fitting with the regulation, the five-second change, the blue light story, didn’t help us at all,” Vasseur said, “but I think at one level enough was enough.”

Asked if the case was closed, he didn’t hesitate: “For me, yes.”

Good. This should be stopped. Ferrari identified a problem, raised it through the proper channels, asked for it to be dealt with, and then went and dealt with it better than anyone else in the paddock. Penalizing competence because your competitors didn’t do their homework is not supposed to be the way sporting rules work, and the FIA ​​would now embarrass itself by bowing to that pressure.

Vasseur and the Ferrari project selective outrage

But the thing is, being right about this particular battle doesn’t mean that Ferrari’s relationship with regulation drama has suddenly become healthy. It’s not like that.

The Scuderia has spent the better part of two decades treating the rule book as both a weapon and a crutch, depending on which way the wind is blowing. When the rules are in their favor it’s a matter of integrity of the game. When the rules don’t do it, it’s a political conspiracy. The fact that Vasseur has a legitimate complaint right now doesn’t erase the pattern and it’s hard to miss the pattern when you’re watching it play out in real time.

Mercedes is still ahead. Ferrari is still lagging behind in straight-line performance which matters most at the start. Vasseur candidly acknowledged the deficit, saying the team was “eight tenths off in Melbourne, six tenths off on Friday in China, four tenths off on Saturday” and needed to work on the chassis, tires and engine to close that gap – not just on one parameter. It’s honest self-assessment, and it’s the kind of conversation that shows Vasseur understands where the real work lies.

Ferrari and this cultural malaise

The problem is that in the broader culture of Ferrari there is a gravitational pull toward lateral performance. Hamilton and Leclerc are two of the best drivers alive, there’s real speed in the car, and Japan is coming in 10 days with a circuit that could highlight Mercedes’ straight-line advantage in a way it didn’t in Shanghai. There are legitimate reasons for optimism in Maranello. None of this has anything to do with the politics of the initiation process.

Ferrari’s best path to the championship – their first since 2008 – runs directly through improving Mercedes over the course of the season, not by blocking rule changes that help rivals catch up. Vasseur knows this.

“Racing hasn’t changed,” he said. “All components of the demonstration are still on the table.”

This is the correct framing. Beginners are a weapon right now and there is nothing wrong with using them. Turning them into a season-long narrative, however, is a distraction Ferrari can’t really afford.

Win the argument at the start line. Win the season in the wind tunnel. They are not the same thing.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen

Hamilton seemed like a man reborn – spontaneous, aggressive, clearly at home in the SF-26 in a way that was difficult to imagine before Melbourne. Even his initial dominance was not a mere glimpse. When FP2 rolled around, both Ferraris were still in the mix, with Hamilton fifth, Leclerc sixth. The speed is real.

Mercedes and George Russell look good despite setbacks

Mercedes had a bit of a messy day but don’t panic. His FP1 was relatively quiet, with the Silver Arrows hiding rather than pushing forward. Then FP2 happened. Kimi Antonelli – yes, the 19-year-old second-year driver – became the first driver to break the 1:19 second barrier and finished second overall. George Russell finished third. alert? Russell spun off and went through the gravel at Turn 3, and has two stewards checks hanging over him after some pit lane contact with Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad. Clean weekend, this ain’t. But the pace is absolutely there.

Max Verstappen is, well, Max Verstappen

Then there’s Verstappen. He stopped the car in the pit lane before the start of FP2. He lost a large portion of the session’s time. Then, with 10 minutes remaining, he hit the wall at turn 10 at high speed, went through the gravel, and damaged his floorboards. He still finished sixth. That’s Max. There are real question marks over the reliability of the car, as Honda reportedly only has two working batteries left, and is still looking for a way to get into the conversation. Don’t ignore it because RB-22 is still complicated. Complex has never stopped him before.

Saturday’s final practice and qualifying will tell us much more. But it’s hard to argue with Friday’s headlines: Ferrari look like a real threat, Mercedes look like the team they can beat if they get things together, and Verstappen remains exactly the kind of problem that doesn’t go away just because you want it to.

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What was harder to hide was the difference in the rest of the field. Williams’ Alex Albon was fourth, almost two full seconds behind Leclerc. Haas driver Esteban Ocon told reporters the midfield was “seconds away” from the front. In a race over 50 laps two seconds of lap time is the difference between fighting for points and fighting for survival.

Ferrari,McLaren,Mercedes. All three of them looked like they were working on a different level. again.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton seems like a different person

Ferrari split the day between the drivers, so Hamilton’s track time came in the afternoon. But he spent the morning talking to the media and what he said was worth listening to.

Last year was the worst year of his career. He joined Ferrari from Mercedes – a move considered the most important chapter of his historic career – and spent the entire season without a podium. For the seven-time world champion, this is no slump. This is a crisis. He didn’t like the car, his relationship with engineer Riccardo Adami broke down and he spent 2025 as a man driving someone else’s machine.

“Last year, we were locked in the car that I eventually inherited,” Hamilton told reporters. “It’s a car that I’ve been able to develop on the simulator for the last 8-10 months, and so I feel like a bit of my DNA is within it, so I’m more connected.”

On his headspace: “I’ve really spent a lot of time this winter rebuilding, refocusing, really getting my body and mind to a better place,” he said.

He is 41 years old. He has been rejected before. And Ferrari’s car looked so fast on Wednesday that their optimism may have been based on something real.

Aston Martin Just Can’t Catch a Break

On Wednesday afternoon, Lance Stroll’s AMR26 lost drive going into Turn 11. Honda’s power unit dropped to neutral. The car turned around. After seven rounds the walker climbed out.

red flag. Flatbed tow. The day is over.

This is not a one-time thing. During the first test last week, Aston Martin logged fewer laps than any other team. Stoll estimated that the car was four to four and a half seconds behind the pace. This is not an interval that you will complete in three weeks.

The AMR26 is the first car built under Adrian Newey, who left Red Bull last year in one of the biggest moves in recent F1 history. Newey designed four consecutive championship-winning cars at Red Bull, so expectations were high. But the car’s aggressive aero concept is believed to be causing cooling problems for the Honda power unit, which is already suspected to be short on power.

Fernando Alonso, who managed only 28 laps on Wednesday morning, said during the first test that Newey “has not forgotten how an F1 car is designed.” This is probably true. Getting the thing to last an entire afternoon is a different problem altogether.

Red Bull and Cadillac are also in trouble

Was an Aston Martin company. Red Bull rookie Isak Hadjar managed only 13 laps after suffering a coolant pressure problem. He is still sixth fastest, suggesting that the RB22 has the pace beneath the headache. But 13 laps isn’t much to push forward.

American team Cadillac also struggled in its first F1 season. Their driver, Sergio Pérez, the same man who was released by Red Bull, suffered sensor problems which caused him to lose the entire first hour. Not a productive morning, at the track, for both Red Bull and Cadillac.

what really matters

The 2026 rules are the biggest reset F1 has seen in years. New power units. Active aerodynamics, where wing elements automatically adjust depending on speed to balance drag on straight lines with downforce through corners. No one has ever raced it. Every team is still learning.

More than two testing days left. Then it’s Melbourne.

Looks like Ferrari has got them together. Aston Martin has the most ground to make up. Everything else is still being sorted out.

The Australian Grand Prix is ​​on March 8. Answers are coming.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen