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Ex-Ferrari driver Jean Alesi has said that the criticism Lewis Hamilton received was ‘not right’ after watching his performances in 2026.
Hamilton, 41, made headlines prior to the 2025 Formula 1 season after it was confirmed that he would leave Mercedes for Ferrari.
Unsurprisingly, the transfer drew a lot of attention, with Hamilton expected to lead Ferrari back to the top alongside teammate Charles Leclerc.
However, following a Sprint victory in China, things went downhill for Hamilton as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.
In the end, the seven-time world champion finished sixth in the standings, 86 points behind Leclerc.
So far in 2026, Hamilton has looked much more comfortable and scored his first podium for Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix.
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Jean Alesi says criticism of Lewis Hamilton during Ferrari debut season was ‘not right’
Speaking recently to RacingNews365, former Ferrari driver Alesi has hit out at the criticism directed at Hamilton.
He explained that it was ‘tough’ for Hamilton to ‘feel good’ during what was a long season.
When asked if Hamilton still has that fire, Alesi said: “Yes, sure.
“He won seven world titles. It’s still okay for him to be part of the development of a big project, even though it’s difficult when a season is very long. It’s tough to be always feeling good.
“The Italian press, at one moment, they criticised him, and that was not right, but again, we saw in China, we saw in Melbourne that he’s there, you know.”
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Jean Alesi tells Ferrari to nail the development of the SF-26
Although they have made a good start, Ferrari are still some way off the dominant Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Looking ahead, Alesi stated that the development of the car will be crucial in the upcoming months.
He said: “It’s a long championship. It’s all about the development of the car, which is now better than most other cars, but slightly less than Mercedes.
“But they have competitors like McLaren, who have the same engine as Mercedes and have won the championship for the past two years. So it will be a difficult struggle in development.
“Don’t forget Red Bull. They have Max Verstappen… and Max is Max!”
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