WILL LEWIS HAMILTON’S NEW MCLAREN ENGINEER BRING "WOKING SECRETS" TO HELP SCUDERIA FERRARI?
Lewis Hamilton leads Ferrari into the 2026 F1 era with a record shakedown pace and a brand-new McLaren-sourced engineering team.
Lewis Hamilton isn’t sitting back at Ferrari—he’s pushing hard for change as Formula 1 heads into new regulations for 2026.
His first year in Maranello? Pretty rough. Ferrari didn’t win a single race in 2025, and for the first time in his career, Hamilton didn’t even get on the podium all year. The SF-25 just couldn’t keep up with the competition.
Ferrari tried an aggressive suspension setup and rolled out a bunch of upgrades, but none of them really worked. Worse, the team ignored what their drivers—Hamilton and Charles Leclerc—actually wanted: better aerodynamics, not just suspension changes.
Of course, the team came to regret that. Now, heading into 2026, they’re ditching the pull-rod suspension and finally aiming to fight at the front again.
Hamilton set the fastest time during the Barcelona shakedown, but honestly, early tests don’t tell you much about who’s really quick. Still, you get the sense he’s feeling a lot better this time. Ferrari’s finally listening to him, and he’s having a real say in how the new car gets built.
For the SF-26, both Hamilton and Leclerc have been clear—they want a car that’s more stable and predictable. After last year’s struggles, the engineers are listening. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari has given the drivers a bigger role behind the scenes.
Hamilton’s been hands-on, giving detailed feedback on everything from the power unit to the suspension, brake balance, and even the feel of the steering wheel. He’s banking on the new rules turning things around for him after a tough time with the last generation of cars.
At 41, Hamilton’s influence is everywhere on the SF-26, and you can see it’s making a difference. His first impressions from Barcelona? He’s in a better mood, energised by how Ferrari’s taken his ideas seriously. Whether that translates to results once the season starts—that’s still up in the air.
And he’s not just making changes to the car. Hamilton called his 2025 season a “nightmare”—at one point, he even said Ferrari should replace him after the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was that bad, and he knew something had to change.
He’s already taken action. For 2026, Hamilton’s got a new race engineer. Riccardo Adami is moving to another role, and Cedric Michel-Grosjean, fresh from McLaren, will be stepping in. Michel-Grosjean worked closely with Oscar Piastri last year, but this will be his first time as a race engineer.
Even beyond the team garage, there are changes. Marc Hynes, one of Hamilton’s closest confidants, is heading to Cadillac—marking the second time he and Hamilton have parted ways. Hamilton’s not wasting any time reshaping things as he tries to get back to winning ways.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
