Hamilton Receives Strong Fan Backing for Eighth World Title Bid

A commanding RacingNews365 poll reveals that 68.45% of readers believe Lewis Hamilton is a genuine contender for an eighth world championship this season. The 41-year-old sits second in the standings on 115 points after ending his winless drought with a stunning Spanish Grand Prix victory last weekend, slashing championship leader Kimi Antonelli's advantage to just 41 points with the bulk of the 24-race calendar still ahead.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's move to Ferrari was widely viewed as a late-career gamble, but the SF-26 has given him a realistic shot at rewriting the record books. An eighth title would break his tie with Michael Schumacher and cement his status as the most successful driver in Formula 1 history. The strong fan backing reflects growing confidence that Ferrari has finally delivered a car capable of sustaining a season-long challenge at the front.

The details:

• The poll: 68.45% of voters see Hamilton as a credible title threat, while 31.55% remain skeptical about his chances at age 41.
• The standings: Hamilton trails Mercedes' Antonelli by 41 points following his Barcelona triumph, leaving plenty of room for recovery across the remaining schedule.
• The machinery: The Ferrari SF-26 offers genuine front-running pace, something that consistently eluded Hamilton during his frustrating final campaigns with Mercedes.
• The rivals: Antonelli has been the standout performer of 2026 so far, but Hamilton must also fend off teammate Charles Leclerc and George Russell in what is becoming a fiercely contested four-way title fight.

What's next:

With 19 races still to run, the deficit is far from insurmountable if Hamilton can maintain the form he showed in Spain. The championship is rapidly evolving into a two-team, four-driver contest between Mercedes and Ferrari, creating tense intra-team dynamics at both garages. Consistency and additional victories will be essential for Hamilton to overhaul Antonelli's momentum, but for the first time in years, both the public belief and the race-winning machinery are firmly back on his side.