Lewis Hamilton 'praying' for 2026 miracle

F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he is hoping the upcoming Formula 1 regulations will suit his driving style better, following a difficult debut season with Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion stunned the F1 paddock in 2024 when he confirmed he would end his long-standing partnership with Mercedes, bringing an end to 12 title-winning years with the Silver Arrows in order to chase further success with the Scuderia.

That move meant 2025 became Hamilton’s first campaign at Ferrari, as well as the final season under the current regulations. Those rules, heavily focused on ground-effect aerodynamics, have never aligned with Hamilton’s strengths and proved challenging for the former Mercedes driver.

But luckily for the 40-year-old, 2026 will usher in a new cycle of regulations which move away from the ground effect era and instead focus on flatter floors with extended diffusers that have bigger openings.

This will result in less downforce and should offer a greater variety of set-ups, meaning drivers like Hamilton should be able to cater the car to their specific driving style more easily.

Hamilton in need of favourable F1 regulations

The seven-time champion was initially reported to be contracted at Ferrari until the end of 2026, but recent reports have suggested Hamilton's contract includes a clause which could see him extend his time at the Scuderia by a further 12 months.

And time could be just what Hamilton needs to finally find his feet at Ferrari and settle into the new regulations.

In a recent interview, Hamilton reflected upon his past experiences with the various regulation eras in F1, detailing what he has learnt from his past struggles.

“It’s been really interesting,” said Hamilton earlier this month, when asked how Ferrari's approach to 2026 differed from the regulation changes he has experienced in the past.

“McLaren in 2009, I remember the first day back in the year, they said the rules of 50 per cent less downforce...so they built the car to have 50 per cent downforce.

"I remember arriving back in January and they're like, ‘we've already hit our targets’ and I'm like, ‘wow, is that normal?’. We get to the first test and there's no downforce at all and we're miles off. So I learned a lot through that experience. 

“Then 2014 was incredibly exciting. Also, just because I was in a new team and I could see the amazing work that was being done already a couple of years before, particularly on the engine. 

“And 2017 was cool because it was a bigger, wider car. It just looked beefier and more downforce. It was mega."

But the sporting legend then turned his attention to next season, indicating that everything is riding on a better regulations cycle in 2026.

"This generation was probably the worst one, I would say, and I'm praying that the next one is not worse than that,” he concluded.

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