Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed his excitement about the upcoming restart of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, saying he feels "fired up" as Ferrari works to narrow the performance gap with the championship‑leading Mercedes squad. After a challenging 2025 season, Ferrari entered the new regulatory era on a more optimistic note before the sport’s mandatory April hiatus, securing a podium with Hamilton in the first race and two further podiums for Charles Leclerc in the next two events.
Now, five weeks later and on the eve of the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton reflected on the early part of the year. "Everyone has had a chance to review what happened in the first three races," he told reporters. "We’ve all had an intense period of work refining the car, and I’m just feeling fired up for the second stab at it." Ferrari currently sit second in the Constructors' Championship, trailing Mercedes, while their drivers occupy third and fourth places behind the Silver Arrows' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The Scuderia, like most teams, plans to roll out a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade when the action resumes in Miami on Friday.
In addition, they are hoping to be among the few outfits granted engine‑development allowances in the season’s first ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) window, a crucial chance to chase the power deficit that Hamilton believes still exists. Hamilton was candid about the power shortfall.
"I think it’s a tall order," he said when asked whether the team could close the gap without an engine upgrade. "I’m really grateful for the hard work the factory has put in during the break. Building these components at such a high quality takes an immense amount of effort, and I’m incredibly thankful to everyone back there." He went on to explain that Ferrari appears to be down on straight‑line power not only to Mercedes but likely also to the new Red Bull‑Ford power unit.
"To close that gap we have to double the development each time other teams bring an upgrade. If they bring a tenth, we need to bring two; if they bring two, we need to bring three or four. That’s a massive challenge, but we have to keep pushing if we want to catch up on the engine side," Hamilton added.
The British driver’s recent race results illustrate the mixed fortunes the team has experienced. After a strong fourth place behind Leclerc in Australia and finally breaking Ferrari’s long‑standing podium drought in China, Hamilton endured a tougher weekend in Japan, finishing only sixth at Suzuka.
Post‑race analysis revealed that the car was losing roughly eight to nine tenths of a second per lap on the straights due to a combination of factors, not a single engine fault. "We did a deep dive and discovered it was the whole system – several things coming together that cost us eight to nine tenths of power on the straights," Hamilton explained.
"We’ve been training hard on the simulator and at the factory every week, so I feel fresh and ready for the weekend ahead." Looking ahead, the Miami weekend will feature a full sprint format. The schedule includes F2 practice on Friday morning, followed by the Miami GP practice session, F2 qualifying, a team bosses' press conference, and the sprint qualifying later that evening.
Saturday brings the F2 sprint race, the sprint build‑up, the Miami sprint itself, and qualifying for the main Grand Prix. Sunday caps the event with the F2 feature race, the Grand Prix build‑up, the Miami Grand Prix, and post‑race analysis. All sessions will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with additional coverage available via NOW for those without a contract.
Hamilton’s optimism, combined with Ferrari’s aggressive development plan, sets the stage for an intriguing battle in Miami. The team hopes that the new upgrades, coupled with a potential ADUO engine boost, will allow them to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull more effectively. As Hamilton put it, the task is daunting, but the determination within the garage is palpable. "We have to assume everyone is developing at a similar rate under the new rules, so if a rival brings a small upgrade, we need to respond with something bigger.
It’s a lot, but we’re committed to pushing forward," he concluded. The upcoming race weekend will be the first real test of whether those words translate into on‑track performance, and fans worldwide will be watching closely to see if Ferrari can finally close the gap and contend for the top step of the podium.