Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari: The Dream Move Analysed

The Move That Redrew the Grid

When Lewis Hamilton announced his move from [Mercedes](/teams/mercedes) to [Ferrari](/teams/ferrari) for 2025, the paddock treated it as a fairy tale — the greatest driver of his generation joining the most famous team in motorsport. One year in, the reality has been more complicated than the narrative suggested.

Hamilton finished the 2025 season with 135 points, zero wins, and zero podiums. After 24 races in red, the seven-time champion had his worst statistical season since his rookie year in 2007. The car was difficult, the adaptation painful, and the internal competition from [Charles Leclerc](/drivers/leclerc) relentless.

2025: The Adaptation Year

The numbers from Hamilton's first Ferrari season deserve context. The SF-25 was the third-fastest car for most of the year, behind the [McLaren](/teams/mclaren) of champion [Lando Norris](/drivers/norris) and the [Red Bull](/teams/red_bull) of [Max Verstappen](/drivers/max_verstappen). Hamilton was not losing to a bad car — he was losing to a car that did not suit his driving style.

Hamilton has always preferred a planted rear end. The Mercedes W15 and its predecessors gave him stability on turn-in, allowing him to carry speed through the apex and rely on traction out of slow corners. The SF-25 had a sharper front end but a nervous rear, demanding a more aggressive entry style — closer to Leclerc's natural preference.

The 135 points and 4 DNFs tell a story of a driver fighting the car rather than driving it. Anyone who watched the onboards saw a Hamilton that was working too hard — constant corrections, late braking adjustments, inconsistent tyre temperatures.

2026: Signs of Life

Three races into 2026, Hamilton sits fourth in the [championship](/seasons/2026) with 37 points, including a podium at the Chinese Grand Prix. The SF-26, designed under the new 2026 regulations with active aero, appears to suit him better. The increased electrical power delivery smooths out the rear instability that plagued last year's car.

More importantly, Hamilton's tyre degradation numbers have improved. At Suzuka, he ran the longest first stint of any driver in the top ten and still had pace to defend from [Oscar Piastri](/drivers/piastri) in the closing laps. The tyre whisperer is adapting.

Leclerc still has the edge — 42 points to Hamilton's 37, with more consistently faster qualifying pace. But the gap is smaller than 2025, and Hamilton historically gets stronger as a season develops. The last time he started a year this slowly was 2022 with Mercedes, and he finished that season with the car's only pole position (Hungary) and best race pace of any driver in the field.

The Statistical Context

At 41, Hamilton is the oldest driver on the 2026 grid. Only seven drivers in F1 history have scored a podium at 41 or older, and none have won a race. If Hamilton wins in 2026, he would become the oldest race winner in F1 history, surpassing [Luigi Fagioli](/drivers/fagioli) who won the 1951 French Grand Prix aged 53 — although that was a shared drive with Fangio, which modern F1 does not permit.

Hamilton's career totals entering 2026 — 105 wins, 202 podiums, 104 poles, 7 championships — are all either records or joint records. A single win in 2026 would extend his all-time wins record to 106, almost certainly unreachable for any other driver in the current generation. Verstappen, the nearest active challenger, has 71 wins but needs another 35 to match — roughly two more dominant seasons.

What Happens From Here

The Miami GP will be telling. Hamilton won the inaugural Miami race in 2022 and has always been strong at street-influenced circuits. If the SF-26 gives him a car he can trust under braking into Turn 1 and through the fast Turn 7 complex, a return to the podium — or even a victory challenge — is realistic.

The fairy tale is not dead. It just needed a longer first chapter than anyone expected.

See Hamilton's complete career statistics on his [driver page](/drivers/hamilton), or compare his numbers to any driver in history with our [Compare tool](/compare?d1=hamilton).