Lewis Hamilton F1 boost after rumours of Ferrari chaos

Lewis Hamilton smiling at the Qatar Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Lewis Hamilton F1 boost after rumours of Ferrari chaos

The Scuderia's off-season has been heavily scrutinised

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 15 January 2026 13:43

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Rejoice, praise whatever deity you favour, jump around and celebrate in Italian: there's a piece of Ferrari news that isn't all doom and gloom!

Discard recent talk about 'overly ambitious' ideas hampering the progress Lewis Hamilton's team is making on its 2026 car, they're running entirely on schedule and with 'no problems'.

That's according to a report from the Italian edition of Motorsport at least, who report that things are running as smoothly as could be expected toward their January 23rd launch date.

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Is the SF-26 finished yet? Well, no. But it's been put through a number of 'dynamic test sessions' as the team tries to get things ship-shape (but not boat-handling) in time for behind-closed-doors testing in Barcelona at the end of the month.

Ferrari desperately need turnaround

The 2025 season was an incredible disappointment for the historic Italian team, who ended 2024 with the fastest car on the grid. That pace emphatically did not transfer to last season, with the Scuderia finishing fourth in the constructors' championship.

That disappointment will have been felt most keenly by Lewis Hamilton, who jumped ship from Mercedes to the Prancing Horse, only to see his old team rebound to second in the championship – while he himself failed to claim a single grand prix podium all year.

Team-mate Charles Leclerc did fare better, but could only finish fifth in the drivers' standings to Hamilton's sixth, behind both McLaren drivers, Max Verstappen, and George Russell.

Nobody truly knows which team will turn up to the Australian Grand Prix with the fastest car, but there's one Englishman at Maranello who hopes it'll be painted red.

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