Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton: Focus on Building a Championship-Winning Car for 2026

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Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton: Focus on Building a Championship-Winning Car for 2026

Scott Gulbransen · Sportsnaut

Mon, Jul 7, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The dust has settled on the 2025 British Grand Prix , and it was a mixed bag for Ferrari, with some moderate success and more head-scratching failure to add to their tumultuous 2025 season. Lewis Hamilton managed to secure fourth position, his best result for Ferrari this season, yet the Silverstone race showed how limited the SF-25 was.

We'll get into the particulars of why the British GP was a microcosm of all of Ferrari's failures this F1 season. Still, one thing is crystal clear: Ferrari must shift its focus to the future to establish itself as a championship contender under the new 2026 regulations.

Also Read:: Why Ferrari's F1 Struggles Aren't as Bad as You Think: Insider Finds Positives During Disappointing 2025

Lewis Hamilton Again Decries the State of the Ferrari SF-25

The respectable P4 finish at Silverstone did not stop Lewis Hamilton from speaking candidly about the Ferrari SF-25's performance. Despite his history of public disputes with the team, Hamilton has consistently criticized the car's handling, and the British Grand Prix was no exception.

"The SF-25 is the toughest car I've driven here," Hamilton said after the race. "This was only my second time in it, and it's incredibly challenging. I'm just hoping to come back and enjoy it more next time. That said, I learned a lot today."

Hamilton's struggles were further complicated by a GPS malfunction that left Ferrari unaware of his race position for much of the event, preventing the team from providing critical feedback. The cause of such a malfunction remains unclear.

Team principal Fred Vasseur remained optimistic about fixing the qualifying issues but admitted that they were working to resolve an unknown problem. Ferrari needs to convert their 2025 frustrations into a specific 2026 competitive plan.

Ferrari SF-25 Seems to Suffer from Split Personalities

The Ferrari SF-25 showed excellent pace during practice runs, but Lewis Hamilton began the race from fifth position while Charles Leclerc started from sixth . Leclerc described the car's issue as "weird," noting that grip and balance were not the problem, as the team was still investigating the root cause.

Those root causes are the big unknown. Despite the driver feedback and upgrades that have addressed the more visible issues, there's still something not quite right with the car in 2025.

Despite the challenges, there were bright spots. Hamilton led the first practice session and Ferrari drivers achieved a decisive victory in Q2. McLaren's Andrea Stella praised Ferrari, calling them a force to be reckoned with in the 2025 Constructors' Championship fight. So there are positives about the car when it's operating at peak condition. But why it has so many dropouts and inconsistencies for each driver remains a big mystery, and a sign that Ferrari should focus on 2026.

Focus on Driver Input & 2026 Should be the Strategy for Ferrari

Ferrari should now prioritize developing their strategy for 2026 over the current season, which is now at its midpoint.

While Ferrari should work closely with both drivers, Lewis Hamilton should play a significant role in guiding Ferrari in developing the 2026 car design, utilizing the remainder of 2025 to integrate Hamilton into its operations and refine its strategy. He is one of the most significant drivers in motorsport history, and the 2026 season presents a perfect opportunity for Ferrari to start fresh with next season's cars, which will be lighter and have equal distribution between combustion and electric power systems.

"But having lots of data to take from this, I mean, for me, I might have to sit down with the people that are designing the car for next year, because there are elements of this car that cannot go into the following year," Hamilton said after the British Grand Prix

The addition of Hamilton to the team means they need to adopt his professional approach and his ideas about designing a successful car. The partnership between Hamilton and Leclerc offers Ferrari the opportunity to develop a car that will be both competitive and ready for a true championship run for all three of them and the Scuderia. After all, the last time a Ferrari driver won an F1 world championship was 18 years ago in 2007 when Kimi Raikkonen did it .

If the prancing horse wants to get back to the top after a long absence, the path to 2026 begins now.

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