ROSS BRAWN BREAKS SILENCE, BACKS LEWIS HAMILTON POST-FERRARI CRITICISM
F1 legend Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton will overcome his Ferrari struggles, but only if the team nails the 2026 regulations.
Ross Brawn, the famous Ferrari technical director, is sure Lewis Hamilton will get through his current difficulties.
He thinks the F1 2026 rules will be key to Hamilton's success at Ferrari.
Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton will do well at Ferrari, but the F1 2026 rules are a big question.
Hamilton's first season at Ferrari has been rough. The 40-year-old is still waiting for his first podium finish with the team after moving from Mercedes.
His season hit a new low at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Hamilton was the first Ferrari driver to qualify last based purely on speed since Giancarlo Fisichella at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This happened after Ferrari chairman John Elkann told Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc to talk less after a disappointing weekend in Brazil.
Brawn was a big part of Michael Schumacher's success with Ferrari in the early 2000s. He helped the team win five drivers' titles and six constructors' championships.
He later signed Hamilton to replace Schumacher at Mercedes at the end of 2012. This set the stage for Hamilton to win six titles in seven years between 2014 and 2020.
Brawn is sure that Hamilton has the strength to get back on track at Ferrari. He believes everything depends on how Ferrari starts under the new rules in F1 2026.
He told the official F1 website, "Lewis is very determined and has been tough in the past." There's no reason why he won't succeed.
I just hope Ferrari gets the new rules right.
Formula 1's chassis and engine rules will change a lot for F1 2026. The sport will use 50 per cent electric power, fully sustainable fuels, and active aerodynamics.
There have been rumours that Hamilton's former team, Mercedes, is ahead of the competition for F1 2026. Many believe their preparations for the new rules are going well.
Some details about Ferrari's F1 2026 car—codenamed Project 678—have come out recently. The team is expected to use a pushrod suspension at both the front and rear next season.
Reports in Italy say that Red Bull might do something similar with the new RB22. This is the first car made under the team's partnership with Ford.
Last month, it was reported that Ferrari is working on a special intake system for its new engine for F1 2026.
Hamilton seemed worried about Ferrari's chances for F1 2026 after the race in Las Vegas. He said he was not looking forward to next season.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: It’s a terrible result. There is nothing good about today.
I want it to be over. I’m ready for it to be over. I’m not excited about the next one.”
When asked if he meant the next race in Qatar, he said, "Next season."
THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON
After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.
Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.
Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.
That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.
He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.
Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.
Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.
Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.
What's Hamilton saying about quitting?
When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.
At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.
Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.
He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.
In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.
MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON
Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.
Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.
The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.
The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.
Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.
The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.
George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.
Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.
Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.
Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.
Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.
Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.
Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.
Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.
The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.