Lewis Hamilton possesses a Michael Schumacher trait that means Ferrari should be feared next season

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Ferrari will hope that whatever they bring to the track in 2026 is a lot more competitive than they have delivered this season.

Lewis Hamilton’s debut campaign with the Scuderia has been both a nightmare and a steep learning curve. The seven-time champion has faced adversity like never before and has really had to dig deep just to scrape by with average results.

It’s hard to pin the blame on anyone specific, but Ferrari haven’t delivered a good enough car for their drivers to compete. They find themselves in desperate need of a turnaround heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, otherwise, another set of sweeping changes could be incoming.

Ferrari staff are losing faith in Fred Vasseur, but he protests that there hasn’t been enough time to see the fruits of their labour yet. Adrian Newey could’ve restored Ferrari’s glory days, but being located in Italy doesn’t make recruitment easy. They missed out on his signature and will now compete against him.

READ MORE: Ferrari hope ‘quickly evaporated’ after failed Lewis Hamilton experiment at the Singapore Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton will motivate his Ferrari colleagues like Michael Schumacher for 2026

Hamilton released a positive statement after his recent struggles, opting to back his team with the phrase ‘Forza Ferrari’, as they continue to search for a way to activate the SF25. Even in testing times, his positivity is admirable for someone who has enjoyed so much success.

There are only six more Formula 1 races to go this year before the real work starts. Nobody knows what to expect in 2026, but the grid order could be shaken up completely. It means that for every single team, there is an opportunity.

It might be up to Hamilton to rally his troops and get behind everyone at Ferrari this winter. Now that he knows everyone, having built relationships with key staff, he can use a trait that ex-boss Toto Wolff once said he saw in Michael Schumacher, too.

“There were times when the team fell down because of the non-performance, and this is where he picked the people up and motivated them,” he said on F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast in 2022. “That is truly management and personality traits that I have not seen with a professional sportsman before.

I would say yes, obviously, there’s his involvement in developing the car and his presence in the factory, but I think on the race weekends, he has become such a senior figure.

“Maybe a little bit like Michael [Schumacher] was back in the day or I think about Tom Brady in football teams that you become more than just the player or just the driver, but you’re emotionally part of the team, and he definitely is.”

READ MORE: Jenson Button says Lewis Hamilton could ‘walk away’ from F1 in 2026 if he makes one realisation

Why Lewis Hamilton faces a restless winter before the start of the 2026 F1 season

This year’s Formula 1 off-season is going to be one of the shortest in recent memory. The new regulations mean that teams need more time to bed in new parts before the start of the season.

The first pre-season test starts in Catalunya on January 26, while the first race will be in Australia on March 8.

It means that the championship kicks off one week earlier than in 2025, giving teams less time to develop their new machines before hitting the track.

As is always the case at the end of any rule cycle, the field spread is currently close. Things will open up next year, and it’s vital that Ferrari take advantage of every opportunity to get ahead while they can.

It’ll mean that Hamilton is in store for some long, restless nights back in Italy, but it will all be worth it if they can produce a winning car.