Ferrari have just made two hires for 2026 that suggest they’re finally listening to Lewis Hamilton

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Lewis Hamilton joined a Ferrari team in the midst of a lengthy title drought. As the miserable 2025 season came to an end, that run was extended to 17 years.

Hamilton wanted to be the man to revive F1’s most successful team. To that end, he took it upon himself to prepare feedback documents critically analysing the entire Ferrari operation.

Hamilton says Ferrari aren’t ‘firing on all cylinders’ but is adamant that he won’t follow the path of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, two great champions who tried and failed to bust the team’s malaise.

Fred Vasseur will not be team principal at Ferrari by the end of the 2026 season – prove us wrong

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Ferrari say they were the first team to halt 2025 development, a move that may have prevented them from fighting for race wins in the short term. Fred Vasseur expects the sacrifice to pay off next year, but it only increases the already unparalleled pressure on the team.

Ferrari’s double Mercedes swoop suggests they are changing their methods

As reported by Formula1.it, Ferrari have recently made two intriguing signings for 2026. Vasseur has allowed chassis technical director Loic Serra to hire a couple of former colleagues from Mercedes.

One of these is Shaid Farzand, who will work on making tyre behaviour in the Ferrari simulator more representative. The other is Giulia Zoppini, who specialises in reducing drag.

Farzand and Zoppini could help to change the ‘working methods and processes’ at Maranello. ‘Leaks’ suggest that Ferrari have been set in their ways for years.

After runner-up finishes in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018, Ferrari may have felt that they were so close to winning the title that they only needed to make small tweaks. But they have already had three winless seasons in the 2020s, which could usher in fundamental changes.

Lewis Hamilton may be viewed very differently at Ferrari in 10 years

Some at Ferrari ‘resented’ Hamilton’s feedback, which came only months after his arrival.

Indeed, David Croft was led to believe that Ferrari weren’t ‘listening’ to Hamilton even though they signed him at great expense.

Hamilton has won all seven of his titles since Ferrari last won the drivers’ championship with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

But Ferrari’s recruitment could be the first hint that they are starting to embrace new perspectives. On the technical side, Hamilton has already tested a new steering wheel for 2026 that is more aligned with his preferences.

Of course, even if Ferrari do take some long-term recommendations on board, Hamilton may not see all the benefits. He’s turning 41 this winter and is only under contract until the end of 2027.

Perhaps, in time, he will be seen as the driver who transformed Ferrari, even if his own results were disappointing.