The Brit, after a very difficult first season that ended with no podiums for the first time in his career, has shown renewed sharpness at the start of this campaign, even securing a strong podium in China after a hard-fought battle with his team-mate.

Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast, the former German driver believes this is not only down to on-track performance: "I kind of think - although I’ll probably get a shitstorm for this again, but I don’t care - that while Lewis Hamilton is clearly back this year, which also makes a lot of people very happy, he will also have contracts that allow exactly that.

He finally added: "He will enjoy a certain number one status - Ferrari won’t really have a chance, he’ll decide that on his own. But of course, that has an effect within a team. I believe it comes down to the contractual side of things, and I also think - and this is actually the main issue - you should never underestimate it."

Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Eddie Irvine said he would not take Hamilton’s resurgence for granted, pointing out that while the Brit secured his first Ferrari podium in China - a circuit that has often suited him - he was outclassed by Leclerc throughout the Suzuka weekend.

The former Ferrari driver then broadened the discussion to the team as a whole, noting that Ferrari have started 2026 on an upward trend, emerging as the closest challengers to Mercedes - a solid response after last season’s disappointment.

On Ferrari’s chances of returning to winning ways, Irvine stressed that it is never straightforward for the Scuderia, highlighting the ongoing challenge of operating away from Formula 1’s UK-based heartland. That said, he believes there is still potential for Ferrari to claim at least one victory compared to last year.