Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed his enthusiasm for the revival of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, declaring that he feels "fired up" as Ferrari strives to narrow the gap to the championship‑leading Mercedes squad. After a challenging 2025 season, Ferrari entered the new regulatory era on a comparatively optimistic note before the sport’s mandatory April hiatus, securing a podium finish with Hamilton and two additional podiums for Charles Leclerc in the opening trio of races. Now, five weeks later and on the eve of the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton reflected on the break and the work that has taken place. He told reporters, "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 comments underline the collective desire within the team to learn from early‑season data and to apply those lessons as the championship enters its next phase.
Ferrari currently sit second in the Constructors' Championship, trailing Mercedes, while their driver pairing of Leclerc and Hamilton occupy third and fourth places in the Drivers' standings behind the Silver Arrows’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Both teams are slated to introduce a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade package when the action resumes in Miami on Friday, a move that could prove pivotal in the ongoing battle for performance under the new rule set. In addition to the on‑track upgrades, the Scuderia hopes to be among the few outfits granted permission to utilise the season’s first ADUO window – the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities period that allows teams to implement major power‑unit improvements.
Securing such an allowance could be crucial for Ferrari, as Hamilton believes the team is not only lagging in overall power compared to Mercedes but also potentially trailing the new Red Bull‑Ford power unit. When asked whether Ferrari could close the gap without an engine upgrade, Hamilton was candid: "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 on bringing an upgrade. It’s an immense amount of work that goes into building these components, and the quality they achieve is incredible.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone back at the factory for that." He continued, "There is a power gap between us and Mercedes, and probably also the Ford unit. To close that gap we have to double the development each time others do, which is a really tall order.
You have to assume everyone is developing at a similar rate because it’s a new ruleset, 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 and at some stage be able to close the gap on the engine side." Hamilton’s remarks highlight the relentless pace of development in modern F1, where even incremental gains can translate into significant on‑track advantage.
The driver’s acknowledgment of the factory’s effort also underscores the symbiotic relationship between driver feedback and engineering execution, a dynamic that has become even more pronounced under the 2026 technical regulations. The British driver’s recent race results illustrate the mixed fortunes the team has experienced so far.
After a strong fourth‑place finish behind Leclerc in Australia, Ferrari finally broke its podium drought in China – Leclerc’s first podium in his 26th attempt – before Hamilton endured a tougher weekend at Suzuka, ultimately finishing sixth. In the days following the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton analysed the data and concluded that his car suffered a loss of eight to nine tenths of a second on the straights, attributing the deficit to a combination of factors rather than a single engine fault.
"I think it’s been good for everyone to step back and analyse the first few races," Hamilton said. "In the last race I felt I was down on power.
We did a deep dive and it wasn’t the engine alone, but the system as a whole – several things coming together to lose us eight to nine tenths on straight‑line power. We’ve been working on the simulator and at the factory every week, training a huge amount, and I feel very fresh for the weekend." Beyond the technical narrative, the upcoming Miami weekend features a packed schedule that includes F2 practice sessions, a sprint race, and the main Grand Prix, all broadcast on Sky Sports and available for streaming via NOW. The event marks the first sprint weekend of the 2026 season, adding an extra layer of excitement as drivers compete for additional points in a shorter format.
In summary, Hamilton’s enthusiasm is rooted in a realistic appraisal of the challenges ahead. While Ferrari has demonstrated the capacity to reach the podium, the team acknowledges a clear power deficit relative to Mercedes and the emerging Red Bull‑Ford partnership.
The forthcoming ADUO window offers a potential lifeline, but the onus remains on the Scuderia to accelerate development, maximise the impact of their upgrades, and translate the hard work at the factory into tangible performance gains on the track. As the Miami Grand Prix approaches, all eyes will be on how effectively Ferrari can convert this renewed motivation into results, and whether Hamilton’s "fired up" attitude will help propel the team back into championship contention.