This is Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari saviour in F1 title fight

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has one man to thank at Ferrari for F1 title fight

Lewis Hamilton is on the charge at Ferrari

By Vincent Bruins.

Thursday 16 July 2026 17:27

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After a challenging season, Lewis Hamilton is back in the hunt for the Formula 1 world title.

Ferrari’s turnaround is largely thanks to Loic Serra, the technical director who broke away from the old 'island' mentality at Maranello.

By enforcing closer collaboration across departments, the Frenchman has finally resolved last year’s persistent issues and unlocked the car’s full potential.

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Serra joined the Italian outfit in the fall of 2024 as the technical director for the chassis division, coming over from Mercedes.

He succeeded Enrico Cardile, who left for Aston Martin. Inheriting a project where much of the SF-25’s development was already set, Serra had a tough task ahead.

Last season turned out to be a disappointment since, despite its aerodynamic promise, the car struggled with suspension and overall handling.

As a result, the team often had to settle for conservative setups that hampered on-track performance.

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Focus on synergy among specialists

To overcome the challenges posed by this year’s new regulations, the former Mercedes performance director intervened decisively.

According to Italian AutoRacer, he transformed internal communications by breaking down the silos that had long separated the aerodynamics, suspension, and tyre departments.

His background with Michelin and vast experience in vehicle dynamics proved invaluable, while team boss Fred Vasseur also invested in new talent for the tire department.

New approach pays off for Hamilton

This year’s SF-26 is the first Ferrari built entirely under Serra’s technical leadership.

Featuring active aerodynamics that comply with current regulations and a push-rod suspension, the car is mechanically far more robust than its predecessor.

Continuous improvements in the car’s dynamic behaviour have eliminated the compromises that hindered the previous model, resulting in a broader performance window; a crucial advantage under the new technical rules.

This technical evolution has already paid off for Hamilton.

In his second season with the Scuderia, the Brit secured a win at the Spanish Grand Prix in Catalunya and added four more podiums to his tally.

Heading into the Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton sits third in the championship with 147 points, locked in a fierce title battle with his former team, Mercedes.

Together with team-mate Charles Leclerc, who celebrated a win at Silverstone, Hamilton has helped drive his team into second place in the constructors’ standings.

Things are looking good at Ferrari for Hamilton right now, and it seems like he has one person in particular to thank - Loic Serra.