Lewis Hamilton confirms 2026 switch after Ferrari talks

F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that Ferrari will switch their focus to the 2026 car after a disastrous weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari had hoped to put to bed their 2025 gremlins with a huge update to the SF-25 at the Belgian GP, with the team introducing a new rear suspension to Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s car.

The rear suspension was supposed to improve the operating window of their tyres and make the car less sensitive to ride height changes, but Hamilton claimed the car felt the same as before.

The seven-time world champion endured further misery when he made consecutive Q1 exits in both the sprint and grand prix qualifying, revealing after the session Ferrari’s attention will turn towards the 2026 car.

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Craig Slater after qualifying, Hamilton was asked whether the focus was on next season when new regulations will sweep the sport.

“We’re trying to do the best with what we have and obviously everyone is working flat out back at the factory,” Hamilton explained.

“We have had upgrades but that’s probably it for the rest of the year and the focus, back at the factory at least, is to focus on next year’s car. This season’s been a tricky one.”

Hamilton reveals Ferrari talks

In the break between Silverstone and Spa, Hamilton revealed he had spent a couple of days a week at the Ferrari factory, where he held meetings with chairman John Elkann, chief executive Benedetto Vigna, Fred Vasseur and head of car development Loic Serra.

Alongside proposing changes based on his experience in the SF-25, Hamilton revealed an emphasis on the future and the 2026 car.

The meetings featured a big push on 2026 with the champion revealing discussions over the engine for next year, the front suspension and rear suspension.

Hamilton also claimed that the team ‘tried the 2026 car for the first time’, and he sent in a document about car-related issues and another regarding structural changes.

The 40-year-old’s comments in Spa represent a full pivot of Ferrari’s attention for the remainder of the year, with the focus less on trying to improve the SF-25 and instead identifying the weakness in their current machinery to improve their title chances for 2026.

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