F1 legend Lewis Hamilton risks being his own worst enemy at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton risks being his own worst enemy at Ferrari

Hamilton's attitude in F1 media sessions needs to change

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 8 January 2026 12:55

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So far in his Ferrari career, Lewis Hamilton has presented two versions of himself.

There's the pessimistic champion, always ready to take the blame and catastrophize a Q1 exit, and the inspirational Instagram poster, ready to learn from his mistakes and come back stronger next time out.

So which side will Hamilton pick in 2026? For his sake it should be neither.

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Now, there is the caveat that Hamilton may not run his own social media accounts. Many drivers don't. But the personal touch to the 41-year-old's posts often suggest he is behind them.

The point still stands that the tifosi will soon grow tired of Hamilton's clashing demeanour during a grand prix weekend- one minute he's talking of massive potential after FP1, the next he's prompting retirement talk.

To list just a few of Hamilton's self-deprecating quotes from his first year in red, he called himself 'useless' and prompted Ferrari to change drivers after his Q2 exit in Hungary, and then went on to say he 'wasn't looking forward' to 2026 as a whole near the end of last year.

If he continues with this attitude in 2026, we'll all start to wonder whether he should have just retired in protest after Abu Dhabi 2021.

Lewis Hamilton- New Year, New Him?

2025 was not what the Scuderia nor Lewis Hamilton expected.

He received a champion's welcome outside Enzo Ferrari's iconic property this time last year, and that received millions of likes on Instagram. But that remains pretty much Hamilton's best achievement since moving to Maranello.

2026 offers a much-needed clean slate for Hamilton and his new team, as new regulations could reset the competitive order.

But what is vital for his success off the track this season is to remain tight-lipped about his failures. Hamilton is a seven-time champion, he really should be leaving it up to his driving to do the talking.

Last year he and team-mate Charles Leclerc were told off not so subtly by Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who stated the F1 duo complained too much about the car.

Then again, team principal Fred Vasseur recently said it wouldn't matter if Ferrari finished P1 or P10 at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, so perhaps it would be better if everyone just simply stopped talking to the press in 2026.

If Hamilton and his team don't learn their lesson from all the chatter in the media last season, perhaps they ought to take a leaf out of McLaren's book and impose a media ban for the entirety of next season.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari