Hamilton Aims to Shape Ferrari’s Future After Tough Start to 2025 Season

Lewis Hamilton has voiced his desire to have “some of my DNA” in Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car, as he continues to wrestle with the limitations of the 2025 SF-25 challenger. In his debut season with the Scuderia, the seven-time world champion has yet to step onto the podium, trailing his teammate Charles Leclerc, who has notched up four podiums and sits higher in the Drivers’ Championship.

Ferrari’s 2025 campaign has fallen short of the high hopes that followed a promising pre-season. Although recent upgrades have added marginal improvements, Hamilton remains unconvinced by the car’s handling characteristics. He noted that while Leclerc has mastered the car setup over his years with the team, Hamilton has struggled to extract the same performance, despite experimenting with various configurations.

Speaking ahead of his home race at Silverstone, Hamilton acknowledged the challenge: “It’s a tough car to drive. I’ve gradually aligned with Charles’ setup approach, and last week was the closest we’ve been in pace. But it’s not a balance I want going forward.”

To address this, Hamilton is working closely with Ferrari chassis technical director Loïc Serra on shaping the DNA of the 2026 car. “We’re looking at removing the characteristics that don’t suit me and implementing things that will allow me to better connect with the car,” he said.

Despite the car’s ongoing limitations, Hamilton managed a fourth-place finish at Silverstone—his joint best result of the season—while Leclerc finished a distant 14th after struggling in the wet conditions. Ferrari showed improved pace in dry weather throughout the weekend, clocking strong practice sessions and a close qualifying, with both drivers just tenths off pole position.

Hamilton highlighted the importance of learning from such weekends: “The car is very unpredictable in mixed conditions. But weekends like Silverstone help me articulate to the engineers what needs to change. I now have a clearer idea of what must be removed from next year’s model.”

As the team sets its sights on 2026, Hamilton’s involvement in development signals Ferrari’s ambition to return to championship-contending form.

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