Ex-Ferrari chief predicts return of vintage Hamilton ahead of 2026 season

The 71-year-old, who spent 10 years at the Scuderia Ferrari outfit, touched on his enduring affection for the Italian team before detailing his desire to see Hamilton thrive at Maranello.

"I think we'd all love for him to be successful. I've got a special place for Ferrari; I've been there for 10 years. I know how tough it is there,” Brawn said to Sky Sports F1.

"But it's always a fine line between a team gelling and not quite gelling, and it didn't quite gel last year. If he gets some incentives and if he sees there's an opportunity, I think we'll see a vintage Lewis. So I'm hoping that happens,” he added.

Hamilton endured a challenging debut campaign at Ferrari, etching his name into several unwanted record books as he failed to achieve any top-three finishes.

The seven-time world champion, who worked briefly with Brawn at the Mercedes outfit, had his sole taste of success at the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, where he claimed victory during the Sprint race.

Earlier, Hamilton admitted the Ferrari team now faces a huge challenge to record success after the reveal of its 2026 challenger.

The British driver, who took to the circuit at Fiorano for a brief shakedown, said the focus is now on banishing the struggles the team faced last season.

Hamilton, however, remains optimistic, pointing to regulation changes as an opportunity for Ferrari to turn the page and make meaningful progress in car development.

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