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.
LEWIS HAMILTON DEMANDS IMMEDIATE FERRARI ENGINE UPGRADE FOLLOWING SIXTH-PLACE MIAMI FINISH
Discover why Lewis Hamilton wants to abandon Ferrari's simulator while pushing the FIA for crucial engine development freedom.
We really need an engine upgrade. Right now, it’s nearly impossible for us to keep up with Red Bull and Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton said after the Miami race.
They both have a huge edge over us, but honestly, the rest of our car might be the best out there. Fix this engine issue, and we’ll have a real shot at fighting for wins.
This comes as the FIA is about to decide which manufacturers get extra development freedom under the ADUO rules. Toto Wolff wants only Honda to get that, but Hamilton thinks Ferrari should be included, too.
Even though Ferrari rolled out major upgrades in Miami, Hamilton said the others made bigger strides.
The team put a lot of effort into these changes; it’s progress, but everyone else moved forward as well, he said.
I heard McLaren’s updates actually worked better than expected. We didn’t see that kind of jump. Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull approach the front wing differently from us. Just look at their design compared to ours; it’s clearly not the same. I don’t know if that’s the key difference, but I want to understand what their concept does.
On the track, the results were disappointing.
Finishing sixth doesn’t sit well with me, Hamilton admitted. That’s not where I want to be.
He also brought up issues with Ferrari’s simulator.
To be honest, I feel like the simulator is pushing me the wrong way, Hamilton said. Maybe it’s time to set it aside, at least for now.
Charles Leclerc, his teammate, looked faster and almost made the podium, but a late spin cost him big.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur doesn’t think the engine is the whole story behind Ferrari’s struggles.
It's about the whole package, not only the engine, he said.
We need to improve everything. The fight for the title can last until the final race. What matters is having the speed to go for wins.
Yes, there are issues, but we know what needs fixing.
FERNANDO ALONSO CONFIRMS ZERO PERFORMANCE UPGRADES FOR ASTON MARTIN BEFORE SUMMER BREAK
Fernando Alonso warns fans of zero performance upgrades for Aston Martin until autumn as cockpit vibrations ruin race pace.
Fernando Alonso doesn’t see things getting any better for Aston Martin until the back half of the season. The start of their 2026 F1 run has been downright rough.
Their fresh partnership with Honda just isn’t clicking. Both drivers can’t get out of Q1 in qualifying, and points? Forget it. After four rounds, Aston Martin and Cadillac are stuck at the bottom of the standings with zero points.
It’s not just a lack of speed, either. Alonso and Lance Stroll have been fighting nasty car vibrations all year, so bad that team boss Adrian Newey said after Australia, both drivers were worried about permanent nerve damage in their hands and feet.
Miami didn’t offer any relief. Alonso and Stroll both finished a lap down, 15th and 17th. At 44, Alonso accepts this might be the new normal for a while.
When someone asked if Canada might bring some improvement, Alonso shut it down quickly. "No. Maybe we’ll get a little better on drivability, but not on performance," he said. "We just have to stick together. It’s going to be a tough race.”
He knows these weekends will get repetitive. "We have to face the media every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday," he said, and when a journalist apologised, Alonso just shrugged it off: "You’re just doing your job. We drive fast, but the message is the same every week."
Aston Martin doesn’t have upgrades coming until after summer break. Alonso expects Canada and Austria to look just like Miami, and keeping everyone’s frustration in check is the new challenge. Still, he figures the team is staying calm and focused on having a stronger finish to the season.
Looking further ahead, Alonso said last month he’s open to sticking around F1 after his current contract ends. The two-time world champion, who took his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, will be close to 450 grands prix by the end of this season.
