Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Lewis Hamilton has already been spotted at Ferrari’s factory since the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season after taking part in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
Typically, Lewis Hamilton and his fellow drivers on the grid would disappear at the end of each campaign to relax and recoup ahead of the following season.
This winter break is likely to be very different, with only a few weeks remaining until teams are privately testing their cars ahead of the upcoming regulation changes.
Finish the sentence: In 2027, the Ferrari driver line-up will be…
Ferrari quickly decided last year that they should start pinning their hopes on 2026 as it became clear they were not in a position to compete with McLaren.
As the season went on, they were leapfrogged by Mercedes and Red Bull, and now it’s emerged that Hamilton didn’t agree with a crucial decision made by chief technical director Loic Serra midway through the campaign.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
Lewis Hamilton and Loic Serra disagreed over stopping Ferrari’s 2025 car development
A report from The Race has shared more details about what happened behind the scenes at Ferrari next year, and their plans for 2026.
Team principal Fred Vasseur told the media at the end of the campaign that Ferrari hadn’t worked on the SF-25 properly since April.
Ferrari staff have been left unimpressed by the work done this year, but it has allowed the Scuderia to dedicate more than six months of wind tunnel time to next season’s car.
A rear suspension update proved to be ineffective, and Ferrari abandoned further aerodynamic updates to concentrate on the back of the car.
Change my mind: Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello are the best Ferrari teammates in history
Hamilton, in particular, suffered with rear-end stability, something that Charles Leclerc is far more adept at coping with.
Ferrari cancelled a floor update by the time they reached Azerbaijan, and The Race reports that ‘Hamilton would have preferred the team to continue developing the car, but Loic Serra’s technical department decided to close R&D funding for the SF‑25.’
This lack of joined-up thinking between the team and the driver explains why Hamilton hasn’t hit the ground running since arriving at Maranello.
Some Ferrari staff were upset with Hamilton’s attempts to inform the team based on his experience at Mercedes, but given how poorly 2025 went, perhaps they should listen to him more closely.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Ferrari must take inspiration from their Formula 1 rivals to return to the front of the pack
As the only team to have existed on the grid throughout F1’s 75-year history, Ferrari’s experience is something that many teams look up to.
They have been a power unit supplier for a long time and have helped teams like Haas with certain developments in the past.
However, the fact that Ferrari went against the judgment of Red Bull and Mercedes this year and lost out as a result highlights that they need to be more open to outside influences.
Hamilton is incredibly experienced, and while he’s not an engineer or designer, he’s worked closely with some of the best in the business.
The comparison of how Williams’ season went compared to Ferrari when both teams abandoned their cars early in the year only emphasises how much went wrong in Maranello this year.
Hamilton will know his on-track performances need to improve in 2026, but if the team don’t provide him with a competitive car, then he and Leclerc will be left in another very frustrating position.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
