Lewis Hamilton is showing a fighting spirit in the run-up to the new F1 season. The celebrated Brit made last year’s much-discussed move to Ferrari, but without the hoped-for success. His debut season was marked by disappointing results and a strained working relationship with the team. For 2026 he promises to line up ‘recharged’ again, he said after the test days: “I had forgotten who I was.”
Ferrari looked — especially during the second test week in Bahrain — noticeably dominant. The team turned heads with an innovative rear wing that rotates 180 degrees on the straights to allow more air through. On the final day Charles Leclerc also posted the fastest time. Across the test sessions the Ferrari gave a reliable impression, both in Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s hands. Customer team Haas underlined the strength of the new power unit as well; the American outfit completed 1,175 laps in total, just 29 fewer than record-holder Mercedes. That will give Hamilton confidence.
‘This will be a fantastic season’
“Testing’s done,” he wrote on Sunday on social media. “It’s inspiring to see how a team pulls out all the stops to build a car. That’s the most fascinating part of this job for me. Everything is built from scratch, designed and constantly revised. And then only a handful of us get to put that machine to the test. That never gets boring. I want to thank everyone on the team and in the factory enormously for the hard work; I’m hugely grateful for that.”
Hamilton – who last year more than once signalled he had doubts about his own abilities – is already looking ahead to the new season with anticipation. “I love this job and I love working with my team and driving for the fans,” he continued optimistically. “I’m incredibly lucky to be able to do this and I’m looking forward to the coming season. For a moment I forgot who I was, but thanks to the support of my fans I’ve shaken off that doubt. I’m fully recharged. This will be a fantastic season. Let’s go, team!” he finished, fired up.
