LEWIS HAMILTON TARGETS 2026 TITLE AFTER "DRAINING" WINLESS YEAR AT FERRARI
Lewis Hamilton is "massively excited" for F1 2026. Discover how a new race engineer and a mental reset could bring him back on top.
Lewis Hamilton sounds fired up for next season. He says he’s ready for a fresh start after making a bunch of changes behind the scenes—though he’s not giving away many details just yet.
Rumour has it Ferrari’s about to bring in Cedric Michel-Grosjean as Hamilton’s new race engineer. Nothing official, but the talk is getting louder.
After a rocky debut season with Ferrari, Hamilton’s already looking ahead. Last year was rough—he didn’t even make the podium once, which has never happened to him before. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc finished eighty-six points ahead in the standings. Not exactly what Hamilton’s used to.
He’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want a repeat of last year. He’s been talking about cutting out anything that drags him down or messes with his energy. Ferrari has also announced that for 2026, Hamilton gets a new race engineer, since Adami is moving over to work with the academy and TPC.
So, how’s Hamilton feeling about the new season coming up? After a year that saw him knocked out in Q1 four times in a row—honestly, a brutal stretch—he says he feels recharged. He’s been working on himself, switching up routines, and breaking habits that weren’t helping.
He even joked a bit at Ferrari’s shakedown at Fiorano, saying, “If you look at all my other interviews, I’d never say I get excited.” But this time? He’s pumped. He talked about the reset, a good break (even if it was short), and just letting go of stuff that wasn’t doing him any favours. For him, it’s about showing up the right way, learning new patterns, and getting rid of old ones.
He’s itching to get back on track, really. The shakedown at Fiorano was just a warm-up, but next week, he gets to push the new SF-26 and see what it can really do. Of course, nobody knows yet what the other teams are hiding—what tricks or new ideas they’ll bring. But Hamilton says the plan is simple: keep their heads down and focus.
He also says the whole team feels re-energised. There’s been a lot of hard work from every department, and he loves seeing that. For now, he says they’ll just take things one day at a time.
During the off-season, Hamilton’s been reflecting and trying to turn things around after a tough first year with Ferrari. On Instagram, he called 2025 “a very draining year” and said it was time for a change. He’s started new routines, ditched bad patterns, and is all about growth. His advice? Let go of what doesn’t help you. It takes time, but you start by taking the first step.
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.”
