Ferrari must work with Lewis Hamilton to avoid ‘alien’ problem repeating itself ahead of next season

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Lewis Hamilton delivered an encouraging performance on Ferrari’s home soil at the Italian Grand Prix.

The Briton battled adversity after being handed a five-place grid penalty for the race, which he didn’t let ruin his weekend. Hamilton managed sixth and could have beaten his teammate if he hadn’t had to start from further down the grid.

Although Ferrari seem consigned to a mediocre end to the Formula 1 season, back at the factory, there is plenty of work still to be done. The 2026 F1 regulations offer them a huge chance to end what will be an 18-year title drought.

Hamilton has just made a realisation about Leclerc, according to Martin Brundle, who believes that he’s understanding how fast he is. Even team boss Fred Vasseur has been ‘surprised’ by Ferrari fans and their response to the seven-time champion, amid a poor run of form.

READ MORE: How Ferrari mechanics privately felt about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s results at Monza

Ferrari must work to avoid Lewis Hamilton repeating ‘alien’ driving style problem in 2026

Ferrari fans will love Hamilton’s final message after crossing the line at Monza, where he thanked them for their support before his comeback in the race. Although he seems nailed on to finish sixth in the drivers’ championship, he’s not going to stop trying.

One of the sacrifices he has had to make as a result of adjusting to a new car this season is that his driving style has evolved, and not in a good way. According to The Race, he will only be able to ditch his ‘alien’ approach when he gets a new car in 2026.

“In the end, fourth and sixth for Charles Leclerc and Hamilton was inoffensively decent, but there is not much optimism in Ferrari for the remaining races,” they report.

“Hamilton still talks positively about building confidence, but claims he is not 100% comfortable with what he calls an alien driving style. Something he says won’t change this year.”

It means that while Hamilton’s Monza comeback was ‘unbelievable’, there may yet be a lot more to come from him in red overalls.

READ MORE: Ferrari now keeping a close eye on ‘very special’ driver as potential 2027 Lewis Hamilton replacement

What was the most encouraging part of Lewis Hamilton’s Italian Grand Prix?

Hamilton started quickly, overtook efficiently, and showed some strong pace in Monza. It was about as consistent as he has been all year. Even ex-teammate Nico Rosberg performed a Hamilton u-turn after seeing how he fared on Sunday.

But the most encouraging part of his race might have been how close he ended up finishing to teammate Leclerc, despite starting several positions behind him.

He crossed the line fewer than 12 seconds shy of the Monegasque driver, and showed that he would have matched and maybe beaten him without his penalty.

The signs are encouraging for the Scuderia, who will be confident now that Hamilton is feeling strong ‘in his mind’ again. Results should start to flow.