‘Don’t hand them the trophy yet’ – Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 title buzz grows after Ferrari test surge

Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson has urged caution despite an encouraging pre-season from Ferrari, as optimism builds around Lewis Hamilton ahead of 2026.

The seven-time world champion said earlier this week that he feels “in a much better place” compared to last year and is relishing time behind the wheel of the new SF-26 as Formula 1 enters a fresh regulation era.

Ferrari’s pace has also turned heads in testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, where team-mate Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets on the final day of the second three-day session. Still, Davidson warned that strong testing form doesn’t guarantee championship silverware once the lights go out.

On top of this, Ferrari seem to be one of the only power unit manufacturers who have built a power unit that can get off the line quickly, with all of the other teams seemingly struggling to get their turbos spooled up for the starting procedure during practice starts in Bahrain.

But Davidson has warned F1 fans not to get too carried away about the potential of a Ferrari or Hamilton victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"Ferrari are definitely in the mix. Whether they are at the top or bottom of that pack is hard to know.

"Lewis looks more comfortable in the car than he did last year, or more than he ever did in the last generation F1 car with the ground effect.

"He likes the predictability of the car. We are led to believe the Ferrari power unit has a smaller turbo, so it spins up quicker.

"That plays into their hands at the start. This track suits them and Melbourne could be a different scenario. Get excited, but don't give them the trophy yet."

Will Hamilton win an eight world title?

While Ferrari have looked good in testing, their rivals Mercedes and Red Bull have also looked very strong, while world champions McLaren will not give up their crown easily.

There is a long way to go in 2026, and in fact the competitive order at the Australian GP will likely be different to the competitive order a few months down the line, as teams get used to the regulations at different rates.

Hamilton will need to perform better in comparison to Leclerc if he is to challenge for an eighth title, even if Ferrari do have the dominant car.

In 2025, Hamilton finished 86 points behind Leclerc, and failed to secure a grand prix podium while Leclerc claimed seven in the same car.

There's no doubt that Hamilton is presenting a different version of himself than he did at the end of 2025, however, with some very negative, downbeat interviews becoming a staple of the latter stages of that season.

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