Hamilton’s Ferrari revival driven by key factor, claims former teammate

The Cadillac driver, who spent five seasons alongside Hamilton at Mercedes, suggested that the seven-time world champion looks far more comfortable with the current generation of cars. Bottas also pointed to the possibility that Hamilton’s influence has been more clearly reflected in Ferrari’s SF-26 package, which has translated into unlocking stronger performances.

“Well, naturally people are happier the better the racing goes on track, and he seems in a good place. It's good to see, and yeah, I think he's shown that he hasn't lost any of his ability to do great qualifying laps, great races. And yeah, maybe this year's cars suit him a bit better; or maybe it's the first car that has a bit more of his DNA in it. Those small things can make a big difference, because in the end, this sport is all about such fine margins. But yeah, it's good to see,” Bottas told GPblog in Barcelona.

The Finnish driver also admitted he was somewhat surprised by how difficult Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari proved to be, noting that the seven-time champion faced a different challenge almost every weekend.

“Yeah, I would say so. And yeah, it seemed like he was really hard on himself as well. So yeah, now he's more in his normal place and that's good to see. Every weekend he's challenged in a different way. And then with qualifying, especially, it's probably part of what he does best all year, right? He just keeps his cool. And it seems like every race he shows another level,” he added.

Bottas went on to highlight how impressive Hamilton’s early-season turnaround has been, particularly compared with his struggles in 2025.

Hamilton endured a difficult debut season with Ferrari in 2025, failing to score a podium across the 24-race campaign. However, his fortunes have significantly improved this year, with three podium finishes in the opening six races.