Hamilton reveals the hard work behind his Ferrari resurgence

Lewis Hamilton has secured his first podium finish with Ferrari at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, marking a significant turnaround after a difficult debut season with the team. The seven-time champion credits a renewed off-season approach, deep factory immersion, and a car developed with his input for his stronger 2026 form, which has seen him score points in every race so far.

Why it matters:

Hamilton’s successful adaptation and return to the podium is a major narrative in F1, proving that even legends face immense challenges when switching top teams. His experience underscores the hidden complexity of a driver move beyond just the cockpit—encompassing culture, tools, and engineering relationships—and validates Ferrari’s long-term investment in him as they build towards a title challenge.

The details:

• The Podium Breakthrough: The third-place finish in Shanghai was Hamilton's first podium in Ferrari red, ending a long wait he described as requiring more hard work than any previous podium in his career.
• Overcoming a Tough 2025: His first season with Ferrari was a struggle, adapting to a new environment and a car that never suited his driving style, which led to external doubt about his ability to still compete at the front.
• The Off-Season Grind: Hamilton’s resurgence is rooted in a complete off-season immersion. He spent extensive time at the Maranello factory, working closely with engineers as the team focused early on its 2026 car.
• A Car of His Input: The 2026 Ferrari chassis benefits from Hamilton’s heavy simulator work in 2025. He notes it’s rewarding to feel the design changes he requested positively in the current car’s handling.
• Cultural Adaptation: He highlights the underestimated scale of moving teams, which involves learning new technical systems and adapting to an entirely new team culture and working methods.
• A Nostalgic Celebration: The Shanghai podium was shared with former Mercedes teammate George Russell and his ex-race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, making the emotional achievement feel "even more special."
• Team Support: Hamilton consistently praised the "immense" and unwavering support from the Ferrari garage crew throughout his challenging transition, which motivated him to break through for them.

What's next:

Despite a less competitive run to sixth in Japan, Hamilton believes the overall trajectory is positive. He states the entire team is "flat out pushing" to find more performance and challenge the early season pace-setters. The upcoming break before Miami will be used to continue this development push, with Hamilton feeling inspired by the collective effort and excited for the coming months.