F1 News: Lewis Hamilton opens up on Ferrari struggles and how he is changing iconic team

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton opens up on Ferrari struggles and how he is changing iconic F1 team

Hamilton has had a tough first year in Italy

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Wednesday 3 June 2026 11:45 Updated: 11:52

Lewis Hamilton has spoken openly about the depth of his struggles in a tumultuous first year with Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion moved to Maranello in a blockbusting deal in early 2025, with the excited tifosi expecting race wins and world title number 8.

Hamilton's first year in Italy was a miserable one though, as he struggled throughout and finished only sixth in the championship standings. No wins and not even a solitary podium for a man who had dominated the sport for so much of the last two decades.

Article continues under video

The 41-year-old British superstar had appeared down and exasperated on several occasions as he struggled to hit a groove in his new surroundings, admitting his struggles in painful media interviews.

But now in 2026 things finally appear to be turning a corner for Hamilton with podiums in China (P3) and Canada (P2) - his first in red.

Lewis says he is now finding a 'sweet spot', but admits the struggle to get there has been both tough and gruelling.

Hamilton admits Ferrari struggles have been tough

He told media in Montreal: "I have to say a huge thank you to my team here. Grazie. These guys have welcomed me with open arms, and it’s been pretty tough over the past year and a bit, so to finally find our sweet spot and have a good weekend has really been an amazing feeling." Hamilton was at pains to point out just how hard he has worked to get to where he and his Ferrari team are now. It is a far cry from the dark days of 2025.

"It’s something I’ve been working so hard, I can’t even begin to explain how deep I’ve had to dig to be able to get to this point, and the work and moving mountains in the background to enable this sort of performance. But I’m really grateful to the team for continuing to hold me up high and support me weekend in, weekend out.

"And it’s a really lovely feeling to see them so happy, because they truly deserve it with all the hard work they put in."

While Hamilton has likely had to change in some ways to fit Ferrari, the former Mercedes legend made it clear he has also had to demand significant changes from his team as well.

Change at Maranello as Ferrari adapt to Hamilton era

"And as I said, there’s a lot of changes that I’ve had to ask for, and Fred’s been super supportive and again also moving mountains in order to make me comfortable. And it’s finally starting to show in my performance. So, thank you to the team."

Hamilton with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.

Monaco presents golden chance for Hamilton and Ferrari

Now Hamilton heads for his 'home race' at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend [like so many F1 drivers he lives in a luxury apartment in the tiny principality] in confident mood and as one of the pre-race favourites.

The perceived wisdom is that the straight line speed of the dominant Mercedes will not be in play quite so much in Monte Carlo, and Ferrari will be the team to benefit.

Hamilton continued: "I mean, that’s the one track that power is not king. I think that’s definitely car performance. I think our car could be really strong there. I’m really going to focus on making sure I arrive with the same energy as I had this weekend, really study hard with the engineers to make sure we position the car in the right place from Practice 1.

"And, yeah, if you take away the power deficit, we’re in the fight with these guys. But unfortunately that’s not the way it is today. And I think in the moment I’m like, 'I need more power somehow' because I’m able to hold on or keep up with them through the corners and I can’t push the pedal any further. And you see them just eking out the straight and you catch them back in the brakes, they eke it out in the straight. It’s really hard.

"Even when you get the overtake, you get within a second, they still pull away. So that’s how much grunt that they have, and we’re massively down. But I really hope with this new rule that enables us to try to improve some performance, so we can get back in the fight with them. But Monaco should be fun."

You have to go back almost two years to the summer of 2024 to find the last time Hamilton registered a Grand Prix victory - and that came in the stewards' room after the disqualification of George Russell in Belgium.

For the first time at Ferrari you sense Hamilton feels he has the car and the support system to end that drought. Monaco baby!

Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

View full biography

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Monaco Grand Prix