Lewis Hamilton admits Ferrari ‘come first’ as he navigates rivalry with ‘phenomenal’ Charles Leclerc

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Lewis Hamilton says his “goal” for 2026 is not to split the Tifosi by focusing on beating Charles Leclerc to be the top Ferrari driver, as the team come ahead of his title hopes.

Leclerc dominantly beat Hamilton in their head-to-head battle in 2025 after the latter joined Ferrari. The Monegasque thrashed the Briton 18-3 for Grand Prix results, 19-5 for qualifying results and recorded 242 points to the latter’s 156 points, for fifth and sixth in the standings.

Ferrari suffered a double disqualification in China and double retirements in the Netherlands and Brazil last season, and on each occasion Leclerc was also ahead of Hamilton on the road when they hit issues. Hamilton only finished ahead of Leclerc in Imola, Silverstone and Baku.

The 2026 F1 season may see a new order emerge, though, as Hamilton is expected to adapt to the new car regulations. Hamilton was not as comfortable as Leclerc in Ferrari’s 2026 car during testing, but F1 abandoning the ground-effect era could bring the former into the mix.

Lewis Hamilton does not want to split Ferrari’s fanbase by focusing on beating Charles Leclerc

Many in the paddock left Bahrain believing that the Ferrari SF-26 could be anything from the second-best car, behind Mercedes’ W17, to the fourth-fastest car, behind McLaren’s MCL40 and Red Bull’s RB22. But the margin between the leading teams is not likely to be that large.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the 2026 F1 season, from the calendar to drivers

So, F1 Oversteer’s readers are backing Hamilton to win the 2026 F1 title, which is the seven-time champion’s aim ahead of the season starting in Australia this week. But while the 41-year-old is working towards winning the title, he will prioritise Ferrari over beating Leclerc.

Hamilton told Corriere della Sera: “I don’t see it that way. Ferrari are one thing – in Italy, and abroad, people follow them like a religion, and love them like the Pope.

“My goal is not to divide the fans. We both want to win, and it’s clear that I’d like to be the one to do it, and I’m working towards that. But the team come first.

“Charles is a phenomenal driver in terms of his driving style and his ethics, and he’s been here for eight years. But I’m coming into this championship differently.”

Lewis Hamilton is expected to contend for the F1 drivers’ title in 2026

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Martin Brundle is “confident” that Hamilton will be stronger in 2026 than he was during his first year as a Ferrari driver in 2025, as the Briton seemed much happier throughout testing than during what he admitted in November was the “worst season” of his Formula 1 career.

Hamilton failed to finish on a Grand Prix podium during an F1 season for the first time ever in 2025, despite winning the Sprint in China during the second of last year’s 24 rounds. The Stevenage-born hero even called his first season with Ferrari a “nightmare” last November.

But with the 2026 F1 regulations requiring a different driving style to the ground-effect era from 2022 to 2025, Damon Hill believes Hamilton will be “in the mix”. Hamilton never liked the ground-effect cars, as they moved away from his preferred driving style of braking late.