Ferrari told what’s needed ‘from top to bottom’ to keep Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in 2027

Follow us on Google Discover

Ferrari produced a sorry season with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in 2025, but the 2026 F1 regulations offer the Scuderia a chance to reset and rebuild from scratch.

Next season will see the biggest overhaul of the F1 regulations so far, with new engine, tyre, chassis and aerodynamic rules all coming into force. Ferrari will be one of the five F1 power unit manufacturers in 2026 and they will also supply engines to Haas and new boys Cadillac.

Ferrari, Haas and Cadillac’s drivers will hope the Scuderia have a competitive engine, as next term’s power units are likely to be the biggest performance differentiator under the 2026 F1 regulations. F1 is moving to a 50/50 electrical/combustion power split and sustainable fuels.

Leclerc endured his fourth winless season through his seven years with Ferrari so far during the 2025 campaign. Hamilton also failed to score a single Grand Prix podium in a season for the first time in his 19-year F1 career during his first term with Ferrari, after joining in 2025.

Ferrari failed to win a Grand Prix in 2025, but how many do you predict they will win in 2026 under the new regulations?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Ferrari must improve as a team ‘from top to bottom’ in 2026 to keep Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Leclerc’s 242 points and Hamilton’s 156 points for fifth and sixth in the F1 drivers’ standings also only secured Ferrari fourth in the constructors’ championship. So, James Hinchcliffe is adamant that Ferrari are the team without any doubt that must improve the most in 2026.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine and aero regulations

Hinchcliffe can even imagine a “very different-looking” Ferrari by 2027 if the Scuderia’s car for the 2026 regulations is not competitive. Leclerc can break his contract and leave Ferrari in 2026 if they are not title contenders, and Hamilton is already now drawing calls to retire.

“Ferrari. No two ways about it,” Hinchcliffe told the F1 website. “Charles Leclerc did his part to salvage the odd result, but the car and the team need to be better next season.

“Lewis Hamilton’s season was tough to watch, and much work needs to be done internally to get the seven-time champ to a place where he can perform at his best.

“The odd time the car was to his liking, we saw flashes of old Lewis. But from top to bottom, big leaps are needed.

“[The] 2026 [season] offers a huge opportunity for the Scuderia. But should they fall short of expectations, I would imagine a very different-looking Ferrari by 2027.”

Charles Leclerc has only won eight of his 150 Grand Prix starts for Ferrari since 2019

Finish the sentence: In 2027, the Ferrari driver line-up will be…

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Leclerc joined Ferrari to replace Kimi Raikkonen in the 2019 F1 season and scored two wins in his first year wearing red. Yet the 28-year-old has since added just a further six wins over his following 129 Grands Prix, with three through the 2022 season and three through 2024.

So, rival teams are now starting to pay close attention to Leclerc’s situation at Ferrari ahead of the 2027 season, knowing that he has only once briefly threatened a title challenge back in 2022. Leclerc is only focused on Ferrari for now, but a bleak 2026 could change his plans.

Leclerc is under contract through 2029, and Hamilton’s contract could keep him at Ferrari through 2028, as well. But after Hamilton had such a difficult debut season in red in 2025, the seven-time F1 champion could opt to walk away if Ferrari are not competitive in 2026.