Despite Mercedes’ dominant start to the season, Lewis Hamilton has insisted that Ferrari should not be written off in the fight for the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
The team has set the standard through the opening six rounds. George Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and then teammate Kimi Antonelli secured five consecutive victories, putting the Silver Arrows in a strong position in both championships.
Ferrari has emerged as the second-strongest team, but the Scuderia trails Mercedes by 79 points in the constructors’ standings ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Ferrari can still develop its way forward
In an interview with Formula1.com, Hamilton said that Ferrari’s title hopes should not be dismissed because of the team’s development potential.
“Never say never,” he said when asked about Ferrari’s championship prospects.
“As far as the title is concerned, I think we can still outperform the competition in terms of car development. Our car is very good; the downforce package we have is excellent.”
These comments reflect Hamilton’s belief that Ferrari can continue to improve the SF-26 throughout the season. The team has not won the Constructors’ Championship since 2008, and Hamilton was partly recruited to lead a renewed title challenge.
Hamilton wants to put pressure on Mercedes
The seven-time world champion has already achieved three podium finishes in the opening races of his Ferrari career. However, he believes that the team needs to accelerate its development programme if it is to consistently challenge Mercedes.
“We need to redouble our efforts and make sure we are always one step ahead of everyone else in terms of development, so we can go faster through the corners and make up for any deficit we might incur on the straights,” Hamilton explained.
Ferrari’s challenge has been to balance aerodynamic efficiency with overall downforce. Hamilton said the team is working to improve straight-line performance without compromising cornering strength.
‘We can improve efficiency, maybe by reducing drag, to try and make up for this speed deficit. A lot of different things happen on these different tracks, so never say never – we’ll just keep pushing and give absolutely everything.’
Hamilton tries to lead the team back to the top of F1
Mercedes currently holds the momentum, but the 2026 season is still in its early stages. Formula 1’s long calendar means that upgrades introduced over the summer can significantly alter the competitive order, particularly given the sport’s tightly matched technical regulations.
After spending more than a decade at Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles, he is now trying to lead Ferrari back to the top of Formula 1.
The next opportunity to do so comes at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teams traditionally arrive with significant upgrades and gather valuable data on overall car performance.
Whether Ferrari can truly close the gap to Mercedes remains to be seen, but Hamilton’s message is clear: the championship race is not over yet.
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Clara Marlowe is a Formula 1 writer at TJ13 with over 15 years of experience in motorsport journalism, having contributed features to established sports magazines such as Evo, MCN, Wisden Cricket Monthly and other digital outlets.
Clara specialises in human-interest storytelling, focusing on the individuals behind the sport, including drivers, engineers, and team personnel whose roles are often overlooked in mainstream coverage.
At TJ13, Clara contributes long-form features and narrative-driven pieces that explore the personal and professional journeys within Formula 1. This includes coverage of career-defining moments, internal team dynamics, and the human impact of high-pressure competition.
Clara’s work brings depth and perspective to the sport, complementing news and analysis with stories that highlight the people behind the machinery.
Clara has a particular interest in how personal narratives intersect with performance, and how individual experiences shape outcomes across a Formula 1 season.
