'Don't give them the trophy yet' - Lewis Hamilton's 2026 title hopes come alive with Ferrari

Ferrari

'Don't give them the trophy yet' - Lewis Hamilton's 2026 title hopes come alive with Ferrari

Ferrari have had a good few weeks!

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 21 February 2026 15:54 Updated: 22:44

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Sky Sports F1 presenter Anthony Davidson has attempted to temper expectations surrounding Ferrari, after a strong 2026 pre-season that has produced a positive Lewis Hamilton.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton admitted earlier this week that he feels 'in a much better place' at the start of 2026, and that he is enjoying driving around in the SF-26.

What's more, Ferrari appear to have a fast, reliable car, with Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc topping the last day of running of the second three-day testing event at the Bahrain International Circuit.

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On top of this, Ferrari seem to be one of the only power unit manufacturers who have built a power unit that can get off the line quickly, with all of the other teams seemingly struggling to get their turbos spooled up for the starting procedure during practice starts in Bahrain.

But Davidson has warned F1 fans not to get too carried away about the potential of a Ferrari or Hamilton victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"The Ferrari is up there as one of the big top four with the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren," he said live on the broadcast of the final day of pre-season testing.

"Ferrari are definitely in the mix. Whether they are at the top or bottom of that pack is hard to know.

"Lewis looks more comfortable in the car than he did last year, or more than he ever did in the last generation F1 car with the ground effect.

"He likes the predictability of the car. We are led to believe the Ferrari power unit has a smaller turbo, so it spins up quicker.

"That plays into their hands at the start. This track suits them and Melbourne could be a different scenario. Get excited, but don't give them the trophy yet."

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Will Hamilton win an eighth world title?

While Ferrari have looked good in testing, their rivals Mercedes and Red Bull have also looked very strong, while world champions McLaren will not give up their crown easily.

There is a long way to go in 2026, and in fact the competitive order at the Australian GP will likely be different to the competitive order a few months down the line, as teams get used to the new regulations at different rates.

Hamilton will need to perform better in comparison to Leclerc if he is to challenge for an eighth title, even if Ferrari do have the dominant car.

In 2025, Hamilton finished 86 points behind Leclerc, and failed to secure a grand prix podium while Leclerc claimed seven in the same car. The British star's last Grand Prix win came back in 2024.

There's no doubt that Hamilton is presenting a different version of himself than he did at the end of 2025, however, with some very negative, downbeat interviews becoming a staple of the latter stages of that season.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2026 regulations pre-season testing