Jolyon Palmer already worried that 2026 Ferrari car suits Charles Leclerc more than Lewis Hamilton

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Lewis Hamilton’s preference for ‘a stable rear end’ may hurt him in the 2026 Ferrari relative to Charles Leclerc. That’s according to F1TV pundit Jolyon Palmer, speaking on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix.

The early rounds of the new season will indicate whether Hamilton’s apparent decline from 2024 to 2025 was down to his discomfort in the ground-effect cars. Leclerc scored all seven of Ferrari’s podiums last season and beat his teammate in the vast majority of sessions.

The Monegasque led the way in winter testing over a single lap and long runs, raising hopes that Ferrari can challenge for the title. But ahead of his 20th season, there are more question marks around Hamilton than ever.

Will Lewis Hamilton score over/under five podiums in 2026?

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Jolyon Palmer says Lewis Hamilton may not have ‘stable rear end’ he needs at Ferrari

During F1TV’s Weekend Warm-Up show, Palmer was asked whether the new generation of cars would suit Hamilton more than their predecessors. He still has his concerns.

For one, the drivers will have to lift and coast far more regularly on corner entry in order to recharge their battery. One of Hamilton’s signature traits is ‘attacking the brakes’, so this may hurt him.

Second, Hamilton prefers the rear of the car to be planted, but based on Leclerc’s lairy testing laps, there may be lap time to be found in ‘hustling’ the SF-26.

Do you agree with our predictions for the 2026 F1 teammate battles?

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“We’ve got rake in the car, we’ve got more feeling to the driver,” Palmer explained. “I think that aspect will help Lewis. He’ll feel the car moving a little bit more where maybe he had more of a numb sensation in the last generation.

“But there are other factors that I’m not so sure about. There’s difficulties in braking, the cars stop deploying energy. It’s a strange way to drive the car when you’re actually slowing speed into some of the big stops. Maybe not necessarily one of Lewis’ great strengths, he loves to attack the brakes really hard.

“He loves a stable rear end. We saw Charles Leclerc at the end of testing really hustling it, the rear end coming out. I feel like it’s a car that maybe suits Leclerc more, maybe suits a Verstappen more for that reason.

“We will see. Maybe it suits Lewis more. There are arguments for and against.”

F1Oversteer says: Lewis Hamilton can’t blame the car – the best drivers are adaptable

The narrative that the 2022-2025 cars didn’t suit Hamilton was charitable. The Englishman, who has had the longest continuous career of any F1 driver, has experienced several major changes to the regulations.

In the past, it wasn’t a problem for him to adapt. That’s part of what made him the most successful driver in F1 history.

• READ MORE: Anthony Davidson says Lewis Hamilton now looks ‘at home’ in the Ferrari during F1 testing

In all probability, Hamilton’s performance levels have dropped in the past couple of years because his powers are waning, which is perfectly common for an athlete at his age. It’s telling that the younger generation seemed to have no problem acclimatising in the ground-effect era.

The very best racing drivers are adaptable. Hamilton is unquestionably one of the greatest of all time, but he must prove this year that he remains in the top bracket.