"WORST GENERATION": LEWIS HAMILTON SLAMS CURRENT F1 RULES, PRAYS FOR 2026 SHIFT
Lewis Hamilton is desperate for the 2026 F1 rules change, calling the current ground effect era "probably the worst one." He eyes a career-reviving change in fortune.
Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari isn't thrilled with the current F1 regulations, calling them probably the worst he's seen in his career, and is really hoping for something better in 2026.
This ground-effect period has seen Hamilton's performance dip, with no race wins this year. He's pinning his hopes on a big change next season.
This upcoming rules adjustment in 2026 will be the fifth one Hamilton's experienced. Rule changes haven't always been kind to him.
Back in 2009, after being the reigning World Champion, he ended up fifth as McLaren lagged behind teams like Brawn GP. Then, 2014 kicked off an era where Hamilton dominated, grabbing six out of eight possible titles.
But 2022 marked a low point in Hamilton's career. Having never finished lower than fifth in the championship before, he's only been above that spot once in the four years of these ground effect rules.
All this has him really hoping for a comeback in 2026, especially since he feels the current rules are probably the worst he's dealt with.
"It's been quite something," he said about the different rule changes he's gone through. In '09, it all came down to how your team interpreted the rules.
“Like McLaren in 2009, I remember the first day back in the year; they said that the rules were 50 percent less downforce, so they built the car to have 50 percent downforce. I remember arriving back in January, and they’re like, ‘Oh, we’ve already hit our targets.’
“And I’ll be like, ‘Wow, is that normal?’
“We get to the first test, and there’s no downforce at all, and we’re miles off. So I learned a lot through that experience.
“Then 2014 was incredibly exciting, also just because I was in a new team and I could see the amazing work that had been done already a couple years before, particularly on the engine.
“And ’17 was cool because it was a bigger, wider car. Just looked beefier and had more downforce. It was mega.
“This generation was probably the worst one, I would say, and I’m hoping that the next one is not worse.”
Still, Hamilton isn't entirely sure about what to expect, mentioning that simulator runs left him wondering if fans will actually like the changes.
"It's tough to say what it'll be like," he admitted. I don't want to bash it or say too many bad things.
It feels really different, and I'm not sure if people will be into it. Then again, maybe it'll surprise us all and be great.
Perhaps there will be much more overtaking. Maybe it’ll be easier to overtake. I don't know.
We have less downforce and more torque. Driving in the rain, I can imagine, will be very, very, very tough, much harder than it is already with what we have today.
But as I said, we might arrive and might have a better grip than we anticipated. Whether you’ll like the fact that we’re downshifting at the end of straight and different boost parameters, it is different driving now, but it is a massive challenge for us all.
And I think that’s really what sports are all about, right? It’s about continuously challenging ourselves.
If we just did the same thing all the time, then it’d be easy.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
