Lewis Hamilton just ‘requested’ a personal meeting with one Ferrari chief over 2026 F1 plans

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The best Lewis Hamilton can hope for by the time his first season as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver comes to an end is a race victory.

After 13 race weekends, Lewis Hamilton is still waiting for his first podium finish, with his victory in the Sprint Race in China still the highlight.

His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured his fifth podium of the campaign at the Belgian Grand Prix, holding off Max Verstappen throughout the race to add 15 more points to his tally.

Hamilton delivered a tactical masterclass to finish seventh at Spa after having a lap time deleted in Q1 and deciding to start from the pit lane.

It was a frustrating weekend for the seven-time drivers’ champion, with Ferrari’s new update packages proving more difficult to get to grips with on Hamilton’s side of the garage than Leclerc’s.

The 40-year-old will hope that the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix gives him more time to adapt to the changes to his car, particularly as he’ll have three practice sessions at his disposal, rather than just one.

It won’t be long until Ferrari and Hamilton turn their full attention to next year’s car, and the seven-time world champion has a specific person in mind that he wants to talk to at their factory in Maranello about 2026.

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Lewis Hamilton has ‘requested’ a meeting with Ferrari power unit chief Enrico Gualtieri

A report from the Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport has shared more details about Ferrari’s preparations for next year.

It’s believed that Hamilton wants to see the progress being made by the team on next season’s power unit, with many people believing the team with the strongest engine will dominate the new 2026 regulations.

Whispers in the paddock suggest Mercedes might have the best power unit, but Ferrari’s experience in this area means they should not be counted out.

The report suggests that Hamilton has now ‘requested’ a meeting with Ferrari technical director of power units Enrico Gualtieri to get a better understanding of where the team are and to offer his advice.

Hamilton wants to ‘draw on the experience of his winning years’ at Mercedes to help Ferrari challenge his previous employers.

During the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton spoke about the work he’s already doing behind the scenes to help the team prepare for next year.

Leclerc nearly laughed at questions he was asked about Hamilton’s comments, suggesting that what he was doing was completely normal.

Ferrari need to take a step forward over the winter to avoid once again being left behind by the likes of Mercedes, McLaren or Red Bull, and Hamilton’s experience should certainly help.

Gualtieri has been with the team for more than 20 years and has been part of Ferrari’s power unit department throughout.

His experience is invaluable, but Hamilton might be able to offer a fresh perspective from his time working with some of the most talented engineers in the paddock.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Lewis Hamilton explains the importance of engine life in current Formula 1 cars

Hamilton took part in an interview with GadgetsBoy and spoke about the importance of looking after an engine.

Ferrari have been worried about grid penalties this season, with concerns over the lifespan of their power unit components.

However, Ferrari used Hamilton’s pitlane start in Belgium to take a full set of penalties for changing all the components in his engine, which should benefit him in the long run.

Speaking about how he thinks about looking after his power unit, Hamilton said: “Every session we have, we have one hour for example in a practice session, and you have to decide whether or not you do, say for example, you can squeeze 28 laps in through the session, but if you save a lap, that gets added on.

“That’s basically one lap of life longer you have in your engine.

“But extracting the heat, and having an engine that doesn’t degrade in power, so you’re trying not to lose any brake horsepower really over the seven races, is a huge challenge.

“Getting into the lab and speaking with the scientists that are really working on that whole process and seeing that refining and seeing that evolving over time is really pretty amazing to see.”