Many probably pictured Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari differently. Especially Hamilton himself. By the end of the 2025 season, many expected him to quit. But Hamilton stayed. Mostly because of the new hope for the seven-time world champion.
Formula 1 is massively changing its rulebook for the upcoming season. This will replace the regulations that have been in place since 2022.
Ex-Formula 1 driver Marc Surer explains that “the biggest difference for the drivers will certainly be the aerodynamics.” As a result, he says, “we’re moving back to normal driving, where the driver’s feel plays a bigger role again.”
GettyLewis Hamilton during the Scuderia Ferrari HP F1 Shakedown on January 23.
GettyLewis Hamilton during the Scuderia Ferrari HP F1 Shakedown on January 23.
Since the new regulations were introduced in 2022, Hamilton has clearly not looked like the same dominant driver he once was. That could be partly due to the major changes in the cars and the high levels of grip.
Now the cars are getting smaller again, as the FIA has pushed back against the recent trend of ever bigger and heavier vehicles.
In his December 17, 2025 article, Lawrence Barretto wrote about the new-look cars. The cars will be 10 centimeters narrower and 20 centimeters shorter. The tires follow suit with the more compact proportions. The tread width will shrink by 2.5 centimeters at the front and 3 centimeters at the rear. This also means less weight: the cars may now weigh 768 kilograms, roughly 30 kilos less than before.
Also new: the DRS as we know it is gone. The new overtaking aid will be called the “Overtake Mode.” Both the front and rear wings may now be flattened on all straights to reduce drag and lower fuel consumption.
All Ferrari fans are now watching to see how the record world champion will cope with the new conditions. The first tests will give the first indication of how well he can handle the car built to the new rules.
GettyLewis Hamilton wasn’t happy about the results in the 2025 season.
GettyLewis Hamilton wasn’t happy about the results in the 2025 season.
One thing gives real hope for a breakthrough: the dismissal of race engineer Riccardo Adami. Hamilton openly spoke about problems with the team during the F1 season. The clashes on the radio were especially intense. At the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton finally snapped: “Take a tea break while you’re on it. Come on!”
The trigger was a team-order discussion. Hamilton felt he was being held back, even though he had faster tires.
After the later position swap, he added another jab: “Should I let him through too?”
So Adami being replaced doesn’t come as a surprise. According to Martin Brundle, it was even a mistake by Ferrari to put the Italian in the ear of the seven-time world champion in the first place. Who will take over Hamilton’s race engineering duties next season remains unclear. Ferrari has announced that the new race engineer will be “revealed in due course.”
The big question will be: how good is the engine, or rather the power unit? Even though Hamilton has no influence over that, the F1 developments shifting back toward more driver feel — and the chance of a fresh start on the pit wall — optimism is back. And for Hamilton, that might be enough to rise again.
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Fabienne Lampe Fabienne Lampe is a German sports journalist, covering the NFL, College Football, NBA, and Formula 1 for Heavy Sports. Lampe has years of experience covering the NFL, especially the Atlanta Falcons as their sole German reporter. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Lampe also hosts a Formula 1 podcast and works as a play-by-play announcer. More about Fabienne Lampe
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