Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed that he feels "amped up" for the restart of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, a sentiment that comes as Ferrari strives to narrow the gap to the championship‑leading Mercedes outfit. After a grueling 2025 season that left many questions unanswered, Ferrari entered the new regulatory era on a relatively optimistic note before the sport’s mandatory April hiatus. The Italian squad managed to secure three podiums in the opening trio of races – one with Hamilton and two with Charles Leclerc – signalling that the package was beginning to click.
Fast forward five weeks, and with the calendar now pointing to the Miami Grand Prix as the first event of the revived schedule, Hamilton was asked about the team’s progress. He replied, "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." His words capture a blend of reflection, hard work, and renewed enthusiasm. At present, Ferrari sits second in the Constructors’ Championship, trailing Mercedes, while its 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 unveil a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade when the cars hit the streets of Miami on Friday. In addition, Ferrari is hoping to be among the few teams granted power‑unit development rights during the first ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) window that the season’s new rules provide. Hamilton also highlighted a key concern: the power deficit.
He believes the current Ferrari power unit lags not only behind Mercedes but possibly even the new Red Bull‑Ford engine. When probed about the feasibility of closing the gap without an engine upgrade, he admitted, "I think it’s a tall order.
Firstly, 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." He went on to explain the magnitude of the challenge: "There is a gap between us power‑wise, compared to the Mercedes and also probably the Ford. To close that gap, we have to do double the development each time the others do, which is a really tall order.
You have to assume everyone’s developing at a similar 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 until we can close the gap on the engine side." The British driver’s remarks come after a mixed start to the season.
He finished a solid fourth in Australia, right behind Leclerc, and later celebrated Ferrari’s long‑awaited podium in China – the team’s first since its 26th attempt at a podium that season. However, the Japanese Grand Prix proved more challenging; Hamilton slipped to sixth place after a weekend that exposed a noticeable power shortfall.
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 solely the engine itself. Hamilton said, "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." Despite the setback, Hamilton emphasized the team’s relentless work ethic. He noted that the factory and simulator teams have been meeting weekly, conducting extensive training sessions, and that he feels “very fresh for the weekend.” This optimism is crucial as the Scuderia prepares to roll out its upgrade package in Miami, a race that also features a sprint format – a novelty for the 2026 season. The Miami weekend schedule is packed.
On Friday, May 1, the day begins with F2 practice at 2:35 p.m., followed by Miami GP practice at 5 p.m., F2 qualifying at 7:25 p.m., a team bosses’ press conference at 8:10 p.m., and the sprint qualifying session at 8:40 p.m. Saturday sees the F2 sprint, the build‑up to the Miami sprint race, the sprint itself, and the build‑up to the main qualifying session, culminating in the qualifying at 9 p.m.
Sunday wraps up with the F2 feature race, the Grand Prix build‑up, the Miami Grand Prix at 9 p.m., and post‑race reaction and analysis shows. For fans, the event will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch via NOW without a long‑term contract. The return to racing after the enforced break marks a pivotal moment for all teams, but especially for Ferrari, which hopes its upgrades and potential ADUO engine improvements will allow it to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull more effectively. In summary, Hamilton’s enthusiasm is underpinned by a realistic assessment of the hurdles ahead.
He acknowledges the power deficit, the need for accelerated development, and the importance of every team member’s contribution. Yet his confidence that the hard work will translate into on‑track performance fuels a narrative of perseverance and ambition as the 2026 season resumes in Miami.