Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed his excitement about the return of the 2026 Formula One season, saying he feels "fired up" as Ferrari strives to narrow the gap to championship leaders Mercedes. After a challenging 2025 campaign, Ferrari entered the new regulatory era on a more optimistic note before the sport’s mandatory April hiatus. The Italian team secured three podiums in the opening trio of races – one with Hamilton and two with Charles Leclerc – signalling a promising start. Now, five weeks later, Hamilton spoke ahead of the series’ revival at the Miami Grand Prix, slated for this weekend.

He explained that the break gave every team a chance to dissect the early‑season performances and to focus intensely on fine‑tuning their machinery. "Everyone’s had a chance to go over what happened in the first three races.

Everyone’s had more of an intense time to work on refining the car. I just feel fired up for the second stab at it," he said. At the moment, Ferrari sit second in the Constructors' Championship, trailing Mercedes, while their drivers occupy the third and fourth spots behind the Silver Arrows’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

The Scuderia, like most of the grid, plans to introduce a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade when the Miami race kicks off on Friday. In addition, they are hopeful of securing an engine upgrade during the season’s first ADUO window – the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities period that allows teams to implement major power‑unit improvements.

Hamilton believes Ferrari currently lack the outright power of both Mercedes and the new Red Bull‑Ford power unit. When asked whether the team could close the deficit without an engine upgrade, he admitted it would be a "tall order." He praised the factory staff for their relentless work during the break, noting that each component is built to a very high standard. "I’m really grateful for all the hard work.

I’ve been back at the factory every week during this break and seeing how hard the team has been working in bringing an upgrade. It’s an immense amount of work that goes on to build these components, and to the quality that they make them as well, so incredibly grateful to everyone back at the factory for that," Hamilton said.

He went on to explain the power gap: "I think there is a gap between us power‑wise, compared to the Mercedes and also probably the Ford. To close that gap, that means we have to do double that development each time of others, which is a really tall order. You have to assume everyone’s developing at a similar sort of rate because it’s new rules, so if a team brings a tenth, we need to bring two.

If they bring two, we need to bring three or four. That’s a lot. I think we just have to keep pushing to at some stage be able to close the gap on the engine side." Hamilton’s recent race results illustrate the mixed fortunes of his comeback.

After finishing a strong fourth place right behind Leclerc in Australia, he helped Ferrari break a long‑standing podium drought in China – the team’s 26th attempt at a podium that finally materialised. However, the Japanese Grand Prix proved more difficult; Hamilton ended the weekend in sixth place. Post‑race analysis revealed that his car suffered a loss of roughly eight to nine tenths of a second per lap on the straights, a deficit he attributed to a combination of factors rather than a single engine flaw.

"In the last race, I felt that I was down on power. We did a deep dive and it wasn’t the engine, but the system altogether, several things coming together to lose us eight to nine tenths on the straight‑line power. We’ve got on top of that, worked on the simulator and factory every week.

We’re training a huge amount and I feel very fresh for the weekend," Hamilton explained. Looking ahead, the Miami weekend will feature a full sprint format, with practice sessions, qualifying, and a sprint race leading into the main Grand Prix on Sunday. The schedule includes F2 support races and a series of Sky Sports programmes that will provide analysis, commentary, and behind‑the‑scenes insights.

Fans can stream every session via NOW, with no long‑term contract required. The broader context of the ADUO window is also significant. This season’s technical regulations have levelled the playing field, making development speed a critical factor.

Teams that can introduce rapid, effective upgrades stand a better chance of challenging the front‑runners. Ferrari’s engineers are therefore under pressure to deliver not just aerodynamic refinements but also potential power‑unit enhancements that could narrow the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull‑Ford. In summary, Hamilton’s enthusiasm is palpable.

He feels rejuvenated after a period of intense development work and is eager to test the new upgrades in Miami. While acknowledging the substantial power deficit, he remains confident that relentless development, strategic upgrades, and the collective effort of the whole Ferrari operation will eventually bring the Scuderia back into contention for race wins and, ultimately, the championship. The upcoming Miami Grand Prix will be the first real test of those ambitions, and Hamilton’s "fired‑up" attitude suggests he is ready to give it everything he has.