Anthony Davidson says Lewis Hamilton is stopping Ferrari from having F1’s best line-up

Follow us on Google Discover

Anthony Davidson says Ferrari have the best Formula 1 driver line-up ‘on paper’ but Lewis Hamilton’s recent struggles deny them that mantle.

Largely thanks to seven-time world champion Hamilton, Ferrari’s line-up boasts 113 victories combined – the highest total on the grid. Red Bull are the next-best with 71, all courtesy of Max Verstappen.

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari also lead the way for poles (131) and podiums (252), but the teammate battle at Maranello was extremely one-sided last year. Leclerc beat Hamilton in 44 of the 56 sessions where both drivers were classified.

Has David Coulthard nailed what’s going wrong for Lewis Hamilton?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘tough’ spell hurts Ferrari in best driver line-up debate

Davidson picked the six best 2026 driver line-ups in a column for Sky Sports, and said Hamilton’s ‘tough’ period had hurt Ferrari’s standing. George Russell comfortably beat him in 2024, his final season with Mercedes.

Still, Davidson said during testing that Hamilton finally looked comfortable in the Ferrari, and he’s optimistic that the rule changes will play into his hands.

He is up against arguably the ‘fastest’ driver in F1 over a single lap. Leclerc has scored at least one pole position in each of the last five seasons despite Ferrari’s fluctuating form during that spell.

“On paper, you would say it’s the strongest line-up, but Lewis has found things tough the last couple of years,” Davidson said. “Let’s see if he can bounce back with this new iteration of cars.

Do you agree with our ranking of the 2026 F1 driver line-ups?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

“I believe they’re going to suit his style more. I think he’ll be able to get more out of the equipment than he has done in the last couple of years with the ground-effects cars.

“Leclerc is a phenomenal driver, super-fast, probably one of, if not the fastest drivers on the grid, especially in qualifying. He doesn’t mind a car that moves around under him. He’s very flamboyant in the way he drives, and I really enjoy watching that.

“But I think the pair of them last year at certain points found things tough. I’m sure the car wasn’t easy to drive, so let’s see how they go this year. I’m expecting them to be a force to be reckoned with once again.”

The best F1 driver line-up in 2026 is obvious

McLaren are the clear winners in this debate, and not just because they have won back-to-back constructors’ titles. Of all the top teams, they’re the only outfit without any question marks.

One could argue that neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri are in the top three drivers on the grid, but both are surely in the top six.

• READ MORE: David Croft is adamant that F1 ‘GOAT’ Lewis Hamilton can beat Charles Leclerc at Ferrari this year

Hamilton must prove this year that he’s still one of the elite this year, while Isack Hadjar and Kimi Antonelli will need to be more consistent during their second seasons.

McLaren’s position at the top is under threat if Hamilton reasserts himself and the two youngsters fulfil their potential, but for now they are unquestionably first.