Lewis Hamilton sees 2026 as 'biggest challenge' of his career

12:28, 23 Jan

Updated: 12:53, 23 Jan

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Lewis Hamilton has looked ahead to the "huge challenge" the 2026 Formula 1 season will present after Ferrari revealed their SF-26 livery on Friday morning.

"It's probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career."

- Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time world champion will be hoping to improve on a poor 2025, becoming the first Ferrari driver to complete a debut season without scoring a podium, finishing the campaign in P6.

On the other hand, his teammate Charles Leclerc scored seven podiums and recorded 86 more points than Hamilton.

The brand new 2026 regulations represent a huge opportunity for the Briton, who struggled with the 2022 era of ground effect cars.

Ferrari's 2026 challenger, the SF-26 - Photo: Ferrari

The former Mercedes man will also have a new race engineer, as Riccardo Adami was reassigned away from the race team, a hint that Hamilton may now have a bigger say on the goings-on at Maranello.

In a press release, Hamilton said: "The 2026 season represents a huge challenge for everyone, probably the biggest regulation change I have experienced in my career. When a new era begins, everything revolves around development, growth as a team, and moving forward in the same direction.

"As a driver, being involved from the very start in the development of such a different car has been a particularly fascinating challenge, working closely with the engineers to help define a clear direction for it."

Hamilton expecting a "central role" in 2026

Hamilton also reflected on the challenges presented by the 2026 regulations, adding that the driver will play a "central role" as teams tackle smaller, narrower cars, and the new 50:50 split between electrical power and internal combustion in the power units.

"It will be an extremely important year from a technical perspective, with the driver playing a central role in energy management, understanding the new systems and contributing to the car’s development.

"It is a challenge we face together as a team, supported by the extraordinary passion of Ferrari’s tifosi, which means so much to all of us."

Leclerc anticipates a "fascinating" challenge

Charles Leclerc finished P5 in the 2025 World Championship with 242 points - Photo: Race Pictures

Charles Leclerc also spoke about the massive challenges ahead from a technical perspective, but said the Scuderia are both experienced and motivated by the support of the Tifosi.

Leclerc said: "The 2026 regulations demand an even higher level of preparation, particularly for us drivers. There are many new systems to understand and optimise, which is why we have been heavily involved from the early stages of the project’s development.

"During my time with Scuderia Ferrari HP, we have already experienced major regulatory changes together, so we know how complex this challenge can be, but we are working with a lot of motivation to arrive on track as well prepared as possible.

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"Energy management and the power unit will be among the most significant aspects - a fascinating challenge which will require us drivers to adapt quickly, relying more on instinct to begin with, and then increasingly on precise data.

"The support of the fans will be especially important this season: it is what makes Ferrari so unique and pushes us to give our very best," concluded the Monegasque.

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