Hamilton lacks faith in the 2026 regulations and issues warning to F1 fans

16:09, 16 Dec

byNorberto Mujica

Lewis Hamilton has experienced several drastic regulation changes, but the latest ground effect era shift has not been kind on the seven-time world champion, and ahead of the next overhaul inthe F1 2026 season, Hamilton can only "pray" it isn't a turn for the worse.

“It feels so much different, I’m not sure you’re going to like it, but maybe I’ll be surprised and maybe it’ll be amazing."

- Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton finished P6 in the Drivers' Standings 86 points off teammate Charles Leclerc. Photo: Race Pictures

The Ferrari driver harkened back to his McLaren days recalling the 2009 season's regulation changes.

“Like McLaren in 2009, I remember the first day back in the year, they said that the rules were 50 per cent less downforce so they built the car to have 50 per cent downforce," Hamilton said. "I remember arriving back in January and they’re like: ‘Oh, we’ve already hit our targets.’

“And I’ll be like: ‘Wow, is that normal?’ We get to the first test and there’s no downforce at all and we’re miles off. So I learned a lot through that experience."

The next rule change would usher in an unprecedented era of F1 success for Hamilton and his then-new employer Mercedes collecting eight Constructors' championships and seven Drivers' titles, of which Hamilton won six with former teammte Nico Rosberg taking the crown in 2016.

“Then 2014 was incredibly exciting, also just because I was in a new team and I could see the amazing work that had been done already a couple years before, particularly on the engine," the seven-time world champion added.

“And ’17 was cool because it was a bigger, wider car. Just looked beefier and more downforce. It was mega."

Hamilton's tentative say on F1 2026 regulations

Hamilton has had the worst spell of his 19-year-long F1 career in the ground effect era, but looking ahead, Hamilton can only see it as a challenge to overcome, since the taste he's gotten of the F1 2026 cars have left him unimpressed.

“This generation was probably the worst one, I would say, and I’m praying that the next one is not worse,” Hamilton added.

Lewis Hamilton's Abu Dhabi GP fightback drive saw him place P8 after starting the race in P16. Photo: Race Pictures.

“I think it’s really, really hard to predict what it’s going to be like. I don’t want to dog it, I don’t want to say too many negative things.

“It feels so much different, I’m not sure you’re going to like it, but maybe I’ll be surprised and maybe it’ll be amazing.

“Maybe overtaking will be incredible. Maybe it’ll be easier to overtake. I don’t know."

Hamilton: 'We'll be downshiftig in the straights'

According to the seven-time world champion driving in the rain will be a near-impossible feat. Yet with all signs stacked against it, Hamilton hopes the series can surprise him.

“We have less downforce, more torque. Driving in the rain, I can imagine will be very, very, very tough, much harder than it is already with what we have today.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be back as Ferrari's chosen line up for the F1 2026 season. Photo: Race Pictures

“But as I said, we might arrive and might have better grip than we anticipated. Whether you’ll like the fact that we’re downshifting at the end of straights and different boost parameters, different driving now, but it is a massive challenge for us all.

“And I think that’s really what sports really about, right? It’s about continuously challenging us ourselves.

“If we just did the same thing all the time, then it’d be easy,” Hamilton concluded.

Ferrari risks Hamilton and Leclerc departures

Sky Sports commentator David Croft says Lewis Hamilton’s underwhelming first season at Ferrari stems mainly from Ferrari’s failure to provide a competitive car and from Hamilton not yet gelling with the team’s structure.

He warns that if Ferrari deliver another similar season, they could struggle to keep both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, noting Leclerc has now gone four winless seasons in seven with Ferrari.

Croft emphasizes it’s up to Ferrari to supply a title-capable car and for team and driver to find better cohesion over the winter. Read the Sky Sports commentator's statement here.

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