F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton issues warning over ‘real test’ as Ferrari fumble could cost 2026 title

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

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Lewis Hamilton issues warning over ‘real test’ as Ferrari fumble could cost 2026 title

All the latest F1 news ahead of the first race week of 2026

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 28 February 2026 15:45

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has released a statement of intent to keep the UK government on their toes following a crucial visit.

Last year, Hamilton took a group of young people to meet the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a roundtable at 10 Downing Street in support of the Ferrari F1 star's foundation, Mission 44.

After pushing an 'urgent message' to Starmer regarding the country's much-needed education reform, the UK government has set out plans to abolish the link between a child's background and their chance of future success, but Hamilton insists: "the real test is what happens next."

Article continues under video

➡️ READ MORE

Lewis Hamilton race engineer fumble could cost Ferrari severely

There are only a handful of days left until the first race week of 2026, yet Lewis Hamilton still doesn't have a permanent F1 race engineer at Ferrari.

What's the big deal though? Carlo Santi will be on hand to guide him through the first few races of the season, mainly to save Bryan Bozzi from spinning more plates than a circus acrobat. And anyway, surely there's someone else in the pipeline who can takeover midway through the season?

But therein lies the problem. You see, Riccardo Adami stepped down — you only have to look at his breakdown in communication with Hamilton last year to guess why — so that the champion could build a better relationship with another engineer to help his quest for an eighth world title, but the lack of a permanent replacement could fumble the champion's chances of winning big in red.

➡️ READ MORE

FIA announce compression ratio decision after Mercedes F1 engine controversy

A decision has been announced by the FIA regarding the geometric compression ratio controversy, just days before the start of the 2026 F1 season.

F1's governing body have confirmed a change to their technical regulations a week out from the start of F1's new era at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, after a vote between the five power unit manufacturers.

After announcing earlier this month that there would be a vote on whether the rules should be changed, F1's governing body have now announced the change has officially passed, releasing a revised technical regulations document that details how the new measurement process will come into play from June 1, 2026, when Mercedes could be heading for a setback.

➡️ READ MORE

Former McLaren F1 star issues statement after legal battle with former team

A settlement has been reached after a legal decision regarding a former McLaren F1 star ruled in the favour of McLaren Racing.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown found himself in court in London in the latter stages of 2025 after issuing legal action against former racer-turned IndyCar champion Alex Palou.

Now 28 years old, Palou is a four-time IndyCar champion with all four titles earned with Chip Ganassi Racing, but the Spaniard had previously been on McLaren's books, and even competed in an official F1 session for the Woking-based outfit.

➡️ READ MORE

EXCLUSIVE: F1 insider shares one thing Verstappen’s team-mate must do to survive at Red Bull

F1 analyst and insider of the sport Naomi Schiff has laid out exactly what Max Verstappen's new team-mate needs to do to survive ahead of a tricky first season at Red Bull.

The energy drink giants have once again placed their trust in a former junior driver to take up the challenging role of supporting Verstappen at the main team after Yuki Tsunoda was axed from the second seat ahead of 2026.

But even with Christian Horner having also been sacked from the main team, Hadjar will still find himself under immense pressure to back up Verstappen as the new F1 regulations cycle comes into play.

➡️ READ MORE

Netflix to show F1 race LIVE for the first time ever

Netflix have announced they will be showing the F1 2026 Canadian Grand Prix live on the streaming platform later this year in a joint-showing with Apple.

Since Apple acquired the rights to take over F1 broadcasting in the US last year, the focus on the sport has only increased, especially considering how much of a success last summer's Apple movie 'F1' turned out to be in the box office.

Though Netflix and Apple TV are rivals in the streaming space, they have teamed up to bring F1 racing closer to the fans with the Canadian GP livestream event, which is set to bring the full action from this year's 2026 sprint race weekend to American audiences from May 22 until May 24.

➡️ READ MORE

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari F1 News Today