Adrian Newey has already explained how the 2026 F1 rule changes will help Lewis Hamilton

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has repeatedly made the same point when defending underperforming driver Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton thought he was joining Ferrari at the perfect time, but given that the field was closer than ever before, it was actually the worst possible moment.

“It means that as soon as you are missing something, if you let one tenth of a second on the table because you are not in control of everything, today one tenth of a second is [the equivalent of] five-tenths [in terms of] position,” Vasseur explained to F1’s official website.

Finish the sentence: Lewis Hamilton will finish the 2026 F1 season in ______

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It’s an argument Vasseur kept making when Hamilton was a couple of tenths slower than teammate Charles Leclerc but several positions behind. But looking ahead to the upcoming season, the landscape will change significantly.

2026 F1 field spread could help Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

F1 is becoming almost 50% electric this year, with the output of the battery set to triple. The cars will also run on sustainable fuels.

The other headline change is the pivot to active aerodynamics, with the front and rear wings opening up when the car is in straight-line mode.

Discussing the 2026 rule changes with Motorsport.com a couple of years ago, legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey said: “Just as everything’s starting to converge, and fans are starting to get what they want, we have got an even bigger change – because it’s the first time I can remember we’ve got a new PU and chassis happening at the same time.

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“The chances of that blowing the grid apart have to be pretty significant.”

While this is bad news for the viewers who enjoyed the extremely tight qualifying sessions of 2025, it could benefit Hamilton. His results last year would have been much stronger if the top teams had a larger gap over the midfield.

Often, when Hamilton was slightly off Leclerc’s pace, it meant he fell into the clutches of the Williams or Racing Bulls drivers. If the grid is ‘blown apart’, then the punishment for trailing his teammate shouldn’t be as severe.

Of course, Hamilton will be hoping to match the sister car now that he’s had a year to adapt. But assuming Ferrari remain a frontrunner, his safety net will be larger.

The ‘excellent’ whispers about Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car

In 2022, chairman John Elkann promised that Ferrari would win the title by the end of 2026, ensuring their drought didn’t reach 20 years. This is their last chance.

Former Mercedes engineer Loic Serra is the mastermind of Ferrari’s 2026 car and is said to be taking a ‘courageous’ approach.

Serra will take charge of the chassis, but Hamilton and Leclerc will also need a formidable engine if they’re to take on favourites Mercedes and McLaren.

Ferrari’s 2026 power unit has been ‘excellent’ in bench testing, but these rumours will only be put to the test when the car takes to the track in Barcelona later this month.