Ralf Schumacher thinks Lewis Hamilton is at the perfect stage of his career for this year’s Ferrari

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Ralf Schumacher believes that Formula 1’s new regulations are going to be far more beneficial to Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari than what he saw during his maiden season with the team.

Lewis Hamilton had a very strong start to the 2026 season at the Australian Grand Prix, matching his best result from last season – excluding Sprint Races – by coming home in fourth.

George Russell won the race for Mercedes from Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, but Hamilton suggested after Sunday’s event that he could have caught his teammate with a few more laps.

Martin Brundle has suggested that F1’s change in downforce levels will suit Hamilton, and former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher is equally optimistic about the seven-time world champion’s chances.

He also thinks that Hamilton, being 41 years old and entering his 20th season in the sport, is going to be a benefit, despite many people suggesting F1’s 2026 regulations might suit younger drivers with more sim experience better.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Lewis Hamilton being ‘more aware’ of F1 risks will thrive in 2026, says Ralf Schumacher

Schumacher was speaking about Hamilton’s first race weekend of 2026 on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast.

He explained: “I believe that the car is more enjoyable to drive. I mean, the car has become more agile. You have often discussed this: smaller, faster, narrower, these are all good attributes for someone who has been in Formula 1 for quite some time, just like Lewis Hamilton.

“But to be fair, I also think that this lift and coast, or rolling into the corner off the throttle, is now easier for someone who is perhaps, let’s say, nearing the end of their career, because they are more aware of the risks and naturally have to take fewer risks.

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“That means that what was perhaps difficult for him last year, because he wanted it so badly, this overpushing, the overrunning, which he often did, which is why he was so often off the track, he doesn’t have to do that anymore.

“So, I think that’s where the car complements him, the driving style he needs now, but also the fact that everything is a bit slower, because honestly, driving a Formula 1 car straight ahead, fast on the straights with the wings up, that’s no challenge now, you can even take your hands off the wheel.”

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Ferrari could turn their lift and coast woes of last season into a positive under F1’s new regulations

One of the biggest complaints that both Hamilton and Leclerc had last season was the amount of lifting and coasting they had to do last season.

While many of their rivals were able to push across a race distance, Ferrari’s worries about plank wear meant they needed to lift going into certain corners throughout a Grand Prix.

At last year’s Mexico City Grand Prix, Hamilton received 18 separate instructions to lift and coast before eventually coming home in eighth.

Last year was particularly discouraging for the Scuderia, but that practice might have served Hamilton and Leclerc well going into this season.

The way the new power units work means that battery management has become a crucial aspect of every session, and drivers are coasting a lot on their way into corners.

Jenson Button thinks F1 is entering a new ‘Lewis Hamilton era’ this season, and Schumacher sounds like he’s starting to agree.