Lewis Hamilton has openly expressed his conviction that Ferrari possesses the capability to help him contend for an eighth world championship this season. Currently sitting second in the drivers' standings, Hamilton trails Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 45 points as the calendar approaches the Hungarian Grand Prix, the eleventh round of the twenty‑two race schedule.
This marks the first occasion since his contentious defeat to Max Verstappen in 2021 that Hamilton finds himself genuinely in the mix for the title. The 41‑year‑old former seven‑time champion admits he is relishing the return to genuine championship contention. "It feels incredible," Hamilton said, reflecting on his 2026 campaign with Ferrari, which has already shown signs of progress after a challenging debut season with the Italian marque.
"When you compare where we were last year at this circuit, the difference is massive." He went on to praise the collective effort of the team, while also acknowledging his own contribution to the turnaround. "I’m extremely proud of the crew for the strides we’ve made together, and I also have to recognise the hard work I’ve put in and the adjustments I’ve made to get us to this point. I’m proud of myself for that as well." Hamilton cautioned that the season is far from over and that a substantial amount of work remains. "There’s still a mountain to climb in the second half of the year, but I’m more focused than ever and I truly believe we can fight for the championship," he added.
Despite Antonelli’s impressive form, Hamilton insists that the Hungarian Grand Prix – the final race before the summer hiatus – is not a make‑or‑break event for his title aspirations. "We keep developing, we keep pushing," he said. "There’s still a long way to go.
I don’t view this race or the next one as a decisive turning point. I don’t even know when a turning point might occur, if there is one." He emphasised the need for relentless development: "This is the time for us to double‑down on our progress, to keep hammering away and to keep improving. We’ve already secured two victories as a team and collected a number of podiums. We’re right on Mercedes’ tail, and I think we’re now in a position to challenge them more consistently for wins, which is a positive sign." Ferrari have been tipped by some pundits as the favourites at the Hungaroring, largely because the circuit’s layout – characterised by a high proportion of slow‑speed corners – could mitigate the power‑unit deficit they have traditionally suffered against Mercedes.
In theory, the reduced emphasis on outright straight‑line speed should level the playing field for the Scuderia. Nevertheless, Hamilton refuses to take anything for granted and continues to view Mercedes as the benchmark. "I don’t want to make assumptions," he explained.
"In the last couple of races we should have taken victory if we had executed the weekend perfectly. The car was capable of winning." He reflected on the Spa‑Francorchamps weekend, noting that Ferrari had been more competitive than expected, but also admitting a mistake had been made that he does not intend to repeat in Hungary. "In Spa we were more competitive than we thought, and I missed something that weekend – that’s not what I want to do this weekend." "We have a car that can compete," Hamilton affirmed. "Mercedes still have the car to beat, naturally, as they have won the most races and they won’t be easy to beat this weekend.
But we have made subtle progress and hopefully can fight with them this weekend." The upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is packed with support races and practice sessions. Thursday, July 23, will feature a drivers’ press conference at 2 p.m. followed by the Paddock Uncut at 5 p.m. Friday, July 24, includes F3 and F2 practice sessions in the morning, Hungarian GP Practice One at 12:30 p.m., F3 qualifying at 1:55 p.m., F2 qualifying at 3 p.m., and the second F1 practice at 4 p.m., culminating with The F1 Show at 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, sees an F3 sprint at 9 a.m., the third Hungarian GP practice at 11:30 a.m., an F2 sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the build‑up to Hungarian GP qualifying at 2:15 p.m., with the actual qualifying session starting at 3 p.m. The day will close with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 26, the schedule includes the F3 feature race at 7:35 a.m., the Porsche Supercup at 9:05 a.m., the F2 feature race at 10:20 a.m., and the build‑up to the Grand Prix at 12:30 p.m. The Hungarian Grand Prix itself kicks off at 2 p.m., followed by the post‑race reaction at 4 p.m.
and Ted’s Notebook at 5 p.m. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract. The Hungarian Grand Prix promises a thrilling showdown as Hamilton and Ferrari aim to close the gap to Mercedes and keep their championship hopes alive heading into the summer break.