Ferrari insiders wondered whether Lewis Hamilton would even ‘turn up’ for 2026 season

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Lewis Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari was so bleak that the team reportedly wondered whether he would honour his contract.

Hamilton signed a multi-year deal, likely extending until the end of 2027, when he joined Ferrari from Mercedes. But he failed to score a single podium during his first season, a surprise to the entire paddock.

The seven-time world champion also failed to reach Q3 nine times, with teammate Charles Leclerc beating him in around 80% of the competitive sessions. He left five race weekends empty-handed, something that hadn’t happened since 2012.

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Ferrari saw a ‘completely different’ Lewis Hamilton this year after fearing for his future

Hamilton delivered a reasonable recovery drive at the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi to battle back from 16th to eighth, but the main headline was that he ended the year with three straight Q1 exits.

He also suffered a highly uncharacteristic crash in FP3, encapsulating his fundamental disconnect with the SF-25.

According to Motorsport.com, Hamilton’s morale ‘sank so deep’ that team staff weren’t sure ‘if he would turn up again’ at the start of 2026. They were concerned about his mindset, rather than his ability.

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But from the moment he reported back to Maranello in January, Ferrari say that Hamilton looked like a ‘totally different person’ compared to that sobering Abu Dhabi weekend. It was as if he had ‘banished his demons’.

The statistics underscore his transformation. Even before his first Ferrari win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Hamilton had scored three podiums in the opening six races.

He has maintained a 100% Q3 record and even outperformed Leclerc, who has been labelled F1’s best qualifier, on a Saturday. He is the only driver who has scored points every single Sunday.

On-site observers say Hamilton’s body language is completely different compared to last year, even when it comes to his posture as he walks through the paddock.