‘Ferrari could not win with many F1 champions, I refuse for that to be me’

Lewis Hamilton says he's leaving no stone unturned as he desires to steer Ferrari to success below Formulation 1's 2026 rules, hoping to buck a development of world champions failing so as to add titles to their resume at Maranello. 

Hamilton's friends Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel each made the bounce to Ferrari to revive the Italian powerhouse to its title-winning methods, however neither driver managed to succeed, with Kimi Raikkonen's 2007 title nonetheless Ferrari's final drivers' championship win. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is the most recent F1 nice on a quest to win in purple and he says he's pulling out all of the stops behind the scenes to buck that development, alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc. 

“For those who take a look at the workforce over the past 20 years, they've had superb drivers,” Hamilton stated. “You've got had Kimi, you have had Fernando, you have had Sebastian, all world champions, nonetheless they [Alonso and Vettel] did not win a world championship and I refuse for that to be the case with me, so I am going the additional mile.” 

With aero growth for 2026 in full swing since January and different tasks ongoing to outline vital areas of the 2026 automobile's design, Hamilton has been pulling up his sleeves within the Maranello manufacturing unit, eager to be concerned each step of the best way. That ranges from placing collectively paperwork for the heads of division to in-depth talks with the very high of the corporate, together with chairman John Elkann, CEO Benedetto Vigna and workforce principal Fred Vasseur. 

“I used to be on the manufacturing unit for 2 weeks, a pair days every week,” the 40-year-old detailed. “I've known as on plenty of conferences with the heads of the workforce, so I've sat with John, Benedetto and Fred in a number of conferences. I've sat with the top of our automobile growth, with Loic [Serra], with additionally the heads of various departments, speaking in regards to the engine for subsequent 12 months, speaking in regards to the entrance suspension, the rear suspension; issues that I would like, points that I've with this automobile. 

“After the primary few races, I made a full doc for the workforce. Then throughout this break, I despatched in one other two paperwork. Then I are available in and need to deal with these. A few of it's structural changes that we have to make as a workforce with a view to get higher, and all of the areas that we need to enhance. 

“Then, the opposite one was actually in regards to the present points that I've. Some issues that you simply do need to tackle to the following 12 months's automobile, and a few that you have to work on altering for subsequent 12 months. 

“We tried the 2026 automobile for the primary time and began work on that, and 30 engineers come to the room, and also you sit and debrief with each single one among them. So, it is a large, large push.” 

Ferrari “not firing on all cylinders” 

Hamilton seems to be digging deeper than he ever has to assist the workforce begin 2026 in the very best place. A few of that's as a result of he has observed the workforce is “not firing on all cylinders” but, and since he feels chargeable for Ferrari's fortunes after its efforts to deliver him in from Mercedes. 

Following profitable spells at McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton says he desires to “problem” each division within the workforce about what choices they're making and why. 

“The rationale for it's that I see an enormous quantity of potential inside this workforce; the eagerness, nothing comes near that,” he defined. 

“It's a large organisation and there is lots of shifting elements and never all of them are firing on all of the cylinders that must be. That is in the end why the workforce's not had the success that I feel it deserves, so I really feel that it is my job to problem completely each space, to problem everyone within the workforce, significantly the fellows which are on the high who're making the selections. 

“Typically when you take the identical path on a regular basis, you get the identical outcomes, so I am simply difficult sure issues.” 

Whereas acknowledging each workforce has a unique tradition, which definitely applies to Ferrari, he praised his new squad for being “unbelievable responsive” to his enter. 

“We have been bettering in so many areas via advertising and marketing, via every little thing we're constantly delivering for sponsors, the best way the engineers proceed to work; there's plenty of work and enhancements to be made, however they're very responsive,” Hamilton stated.

“Finally, I suppose I am simply attempting to actually recreate allies inside the organisation and get them geed up, get them pushing.” 

One more reason why Hamilton is in a rush is as a result of he acknowledges time shouldn't be on his aspect to assert an eighth world championship as he enters his forties. “I am right here to win and I haven't got as a lot time as this one right here,” he stated whereas pointing to his Mercedes successor Andrea Kimi Antonelli sitting subsequent to him within the FIA press convention. 

“It is crunch time and I really imagine within the potential of this workforce. I actually, actually imagine that they will win a number of world championships shifting ahead. They have already got an incredible legacy, however throughout my time that is my sole purpose.”