F1 2026: Lewis Hamilton claims new Ferrari car is 'fun' and that's good news for his title push

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton claims new Ferrari F1 car is 'fun' and that's good news for his title push

Hamilton is steadily getting his smile back

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 2 February 2026 11:42

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Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has described Ferrari's latest F1 car as being 'fun' to drive.

The Scuderia spent the winter off-season putting in the work to do as much as they can to provide Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc with machinery they can rely on ahead of the 2026 championship.

There are many changes taking place both on the inside and outside of F1 cars this year as new regulations come into play in an attempt to make the sport more sustainable and more enjoyable to watch.

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Despite the first round of pre-season testing taking place behind closed doors in January, it still provided fans with a first look at many of the new challengers, including Ferrari's SF-26, which Hamilton seems pleasantly surprised by.

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Hamilton's first Ferrari impressions mean good news for 2026

After topping the unofficial testing timesheets on the final Barcelona shakedown day last Friday, Hamilton told F1.com: “The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive.

“It's oversteery and snappy and sliding but it's a little bit easier to catch and I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

The 41-year-old also shared that he felt this year's car had, 'a lot less downforce than previous years', delivering his post-testing interviews with an expression that resembled a smile much more than the one he often wore in 2025 race weekend interviews.

After Hamilton's first year in red didn't go exactly to plan, the tifosi and the Brit's own loyal fanbase will be desperate to see the champion return to form, not only for their sake but for his as well.

Last season saw far too much talk of early retirement and mid-season departures, mostly prompted by Hamilton who frequently cut a severely dejected figure when speaking to media.

But the positivity surrounding the squad early on in 2026 is a good sign for Hamilton and his hopes of picking up a historic eighth title with Ferrari, a goal that would make the perfect end to his already 19-year-long career in the sport.

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

Hamilton and Ferrari will be back in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET. The first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain will kick off on February 11 until 13, before the second round continues from February 18 until February 20.