F1 Odds: Lewis Hamilton is BACK after Ferrari lightning strikes in Bahrain testing

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 2026, Social — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Odds: Lewis Hamilton is BACK after Ferrari lightning strikes in Bahrain testing

Lewis was a no-hoper a month ago but not any more

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 20 February 2026 12:55 Updated: 22:45

This would not have seemed possible a few short days ago, but Lewis Hamilton is now right back in the hunt for F1 race wins in 2026 and the latest odds prove it.

Hamilton was a 33/1 shot to claim a record eighth world title just a month ago coming off an absolutely miserable first season at Ferrari which saw him finish sixth in the Drivers’ Championship standings - 267 points behind Lando Norris. Fair to say expectations were very, very low.

Fast forward to the final day of Bahrain testing and now the 41-year-old seven-time king is now as short as just 9/1 with the Scuderia now expected to be one of the front runners in Melbourne on March 8. All of a sudden there is hope that he may yet add to his 105 Grand Prix victories this season.

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The biggest reason for that astonishing turnaround is the start procedure before F1 races, which is made all the more complex this year because of the new regulations sweeping into the sport.

It appears a lot of teams and drivers are struggling to master this procedure with battery power now such an important factor in the new cars. But Ferrari planned for this scenario, and they have absolutely aced it.

Thursday in Bahrain offered us the incredible sight of Hamilton going from P9 to P1 in the blink of an eye during practice starts near the end of the evening session.

Throw in the remarkable reliability (so far) displayed by the new power unit in the SF-26, and Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc are all of a sudden in a very good place.

Latest Drivers’ Championship odds

The latest odds highlight that astonishing turnaround for Ferrari, and Hamilton in particular. At the time of writing they look like this:

9/4 George Russell
13/5 Max Verstappen
7/1 Kimi Antonelli
15/2 Charles Leclerc
8/1 Lando Norris
9/1 Lewis Hamilton
9/1 Oscar Piastri

Australian Grand Prix odds

The season opener in Melbourne is now just a couple of weeks away, with practice due to start on Friday March 6 and the race proper on Sunday March 8.

As it stands, few would bet against Hamilton and Leclerc being very close to the front - or leading - when the cars get off the line Down Under. Their apparent advantage at the start is literally that big.

The odds to win the opener right now look like this:

2/1 George Russell
11/4 Max Verstappen
15/2 Lando Norris
17/2 Charles Leclerc
17/2 Lewis Hamilton
10/1 Oscar Piastri

When did Lewis Hamilton last win an F1 race?

You have to go back to 2024 for the most recent of Hamilton’s 105 Grand Prix victories. That came in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate at the time George Russell stormed to victory with Lewis settling for P2, but after a devastating verdict found Russell's Mercedes to be underweight, he was disqualified, handing Hamilton the victory.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari