Ferrari have already made a decision which could prove costly for Lewis Hamilton in 2026

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Although Ferrari were one of the first teams to turn to 2026 amid a difficult campaign in 2025, their preparations will be tested in just a few weeks’ time.

The question everyone wants to see answered is whether they are capable of giving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a competitive car.

So far, they have failed to do so. In fact, having failed to win the drivers’ championship since 2007, it’s a run that has lasted 19 years.

And both time and patience are running out at Ferrari. There is no better time for them to deliver than now, otherwise jobs may be under threat.

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

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Ferrari have designed a ‘very compact’ gearbox in a bid to keep everything tightly packed on their car. It’s a move they have concentrated a lot of resources on.

Even if retirement beckons for their seven-time champion, Hamilton could stay at Ferrari and become an ambassador, depending on the relationship between the two parties.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton could chase dreams ‘far removed’ from Ferrari if he struggles again in 2026

Ferrari’s big SF25 suspension upgrade could cost Lewis Hamilton in 2026

The 2026 F1 regulations are poised to be the most exciting set of changes since the current turbo-hybrid engines were introduced back in 2014.

However, doubts about Hamilton are spreading at Ferrari and there is a consensus that Oliver Bearman could be the man to replace him one day.

But the next 12 months are going be some of the most telling of his career. Looking back on 2025, could Ferrari have been more prepared?

They introduced a big mid-season suspension upgrade, at a time when they could have allocated all of their resources to 2026 much earlier.

Looking back, the changes didn’t have much influence on their miserable campaign, and the added benefit of spending more time on their new car might have outweighed the upgrade.

The first day of testing will be in two weeks, as the cars hit the ground at Barcelona for a five-day behind-closed-doors test.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc has ‘rejected’ the idea of becoming Lewis Hamilton’s ‘mentor’ at Ferrari

What did Ferrari ‘underestimate’ the impact of during the 2025 F1 season?

Even though the drivers kept fighting until the very end last year, they just didn’t have the performance in the car to be able to achieve anything of note.

Ferrari ‘underestimated’ the impact of giving up and the added pressure that it placed on their drivers to make a difference.

A complete reset offers the chance for them to be brave and innovative, but also comes with significant risk.

They don’t want to end up on the wrong end of the stick, making U-turns on design decisions that could leave them in the midfield for years to come.