Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton remains capable of adding to his victory tally with Ferrari, and expects the Scuderia to make significant competitive gains as the 2026 season progresses.
The Sky Sports F1 commentator and former grand prix driver has backed Hamilton to return to winning form despite a challenging start to his Ferrari career, suggesting the team is poised for a development breakthrough that will put the seven-time world champion back in contention.
Hamilton’s Ferrari Transition
Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025 represented one of the most seismic driver transfers in modern Formula 1 history. Now in his second season with the Scuderia, the 41-year-old is working alongside Charles Leclerc in a partnership that has delivered moments of promise but has yet to produce the sustained competitiveness both drivers and the team expected.
Ferrari arrived in 2026 with a redesigned package under the sport’s sweeping new technical regulations. The SF-26 chassis, paired with Ferrari’s in-house power unit meeting the new 50-50 combustion-electric split, has shown pace in qualifying trim but has struggled with race degradation and setup sensitivity across varying circuit characteristics.
Hamilton has adapted his driving style to Ferrari’s design philosophy, a process that required unlearning muscle memory built over more than a decade with Mercedes’ characteristic handling balance. Leclerc, meanwhile, has the advantage of continuity within Ferrari’s engineering culture, though both drivers have contributed to the team’s development direction.
Development Trajectory
Brundle’s assessment of a “big step” suggests Ferrari’s upgrade pipeline holds genuine performance potential. The team’s Maranello factory has historically demonstrated the capacity for rapid in-season development, and the new regulations have levelled the playing field in ways that reward aggressive development cycles.
Whether Hamilton can convert improved machinery into victories depends on Ferrari’s ability to deliver that step change in the coming races, and on the competitive response from Red Bull Racing, McLaren, and Mercedes. But Brundle’s confidence in Hamilton’s underlying speed remains unshaken, pointing to the British driver’s racecraft and adaptability as enduring strengths even as he enters the later phase of his career.
Ferrari’s next opportunity to demonstrate progress comes as the championship resumes following its scheduled break, with the team’s performance gains—or lack thereof—set to become immediately apparent on track.