Lewis Hamilton attacks
Now he wants to break Schumacher’s record
March 6, 2026 – 10:15 a.mReading time: 4 minutes
The first season in Ferrari was a disaster for Lewis Hamilton. But now the Brit is daring to make a fresh start – and has found hope and fighting spirit again.
“I spent a lot of time this winter rebuilding myself, refocusing and really getting my body and mind into a much better state”: Lewis Hamilton exudes optimism again before the start of the new Formula 1 season. In his second year at Ferrari, the 41-year-old would like to finally build on his old successes.
His debut season for the Scuderia was frustrating for the seven-time title winner; apart from his sprint victory in the race in China, the 105-time race winner did not make it onto the podium once. Towards the end of the year, Hamilton’s frustration was clearly noticeable; he even spoke of the “worst season” of his career.
But in 2026 a lot will be different in Formula 1 as well as at Ferrari and Hamilton personally. Will the Brit still have the sole title record in the end?
With the new season there will be a real break in the rules in the “premier class” of motorsport. The cars are smaller and lighter, the engines are only 50 percent powered by a combustion engine that runs on completely sustainable fuels and 50 percent are electronic. There are new challenges for the drivers and teams. The pilots have to manage the engine’s electronic energy even better than before.
Although Hamilton recently complained that energy management is “ridiculously complex” and sarcastically remarked that it was “as if we needed a degree to fully understand it all.” The experience from 19 Formula 1 seasons could definitely play into the Brit’s hands when dealing with the new rules.
His hopes are likely to be further fueled by the memory of the last comprehensive rule changes in the “premier class”. When Formula 1 first introduced hybrid engines in 2014, it was his Mercedes racing team that built the best power units and dominated the racing series in the years to come. Hamilton won six of his seven world titles by 2020.
Can Ferrari do the same this time? At least the Scuderia presented itself astonishingly innovative during the test drives. In recent years, the Italians haven’t exactly been known for rapid development of their cars or surprising technical tricks. But at the dress rehearsal for the season in Bahrain, Ferrari suddenly came up with a small wing that is supposed to use the exhaust gases aerodynamically and a fully rotating rear wing. The lap times were also correct: on all test days we were among the front runners and sometimes even set the best time. Even if the tests should always be viewed with caution: for Hamilton and all Ferrari fans it was an encouragement.
