The Lewis Hamilton sign that means he will be 'fast' at Ferrari

Broadcasting legend Martin Brundle has given the reason why seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton will be 'fast' for Ferrari in 2026.

Hamilton suffered a dismal 2025 season in what was his first year at Ferrari, not picking up a single grand prix podium and finishing 86 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the standings.

In fact Hamilton has not beaten his team-mate in three of the last four seasons, and has only picked up two grand prix victories in the last four years too.

However, Hamilton and Ferrari are hoping that 2026 will be different. 41-year-old Hamilton is going to be able to race in a new era of F1, hoping that the new cars are more suited to his supreme talents.

Now, Brundle has said that he's confident that Hamilton will have a better time of it in 2026, hinting that Hamilton seeming happier in interviews is likely to directly impact his performance on track.

"I hope so," Brundle told Sky Sports F1 when asked if things were likely to improve for the Briton. "For Lewis, for Ferrari. As Formula 1 fans, we always want Ferrari to do well, don't we? And I'd love to see that come right for Lewis.

"He seems a bit happier. He will be great at using the tools that are available to him under the new regulations. He's got to beat Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari because he's right on it as well. But a happy Lewis has always been, and not just at Ferrari, a fast Lewis.

"So I think if he comes into the season, and I have to say Ferrari have been quite innovative over the winter, and they look in a better place than we've seen them for a few years now. So I'm confident that Lewis will have a better year."

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Ferrari's positivity premature?

Hamilton has already said that he's in a 'much better place' heading into this season, while also revealing how much he is enjoying driving the new SF-26.

The Brit's lightning fast practice start during Bahrain pre-season testing led to lots of speculation about Ferrari having built their power unit to be brilliant at race starts, while the other teams have been struggling.

This was not the only positive news for Ferrari, however, with Leclerc going on to set the fastest time of the whole two weeks of testing on the final day at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Brundle's co-presenter Craig Slater pointed to the work that Hamilton has put in at Ferrari over the last 12 months to try and help them to get ahead when the new regulations arrived.

"He said that 'I've put my DNA in this car', whereas last year, he spent a lot of time saying, 'I'm new to the team. I'm having to adjust,'" Slater explained. "He's worked very hard in these last 12 months. Will he get the reward for his hard work, is the question, having developed the relationships within the team and so on?

"But can you imagine the excitement globally if at the age of 41, he's a contender this year for title number eight?"

Brundle added: "Lewis transcends Formula 1 like no other driver, in my view, has before or does now. And you're right, Craig, but he's going to have a lot of young guys, not much more than half his age to beat as well. So, it won't be easy for him, but I think I'm confident he's in for a better season."

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