Hamilton Reclaims 2026 Formula One Throne

Motorsport photo Lewis Hamilton says he is ‘back to his best’, though he insists there’s still “room to improve”, following his first podium with Ferrari at Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix. At a Shanghai International Circuit where his sprint win was a rare highlight last year, Hamilton outqualified team-mate Charles Leclerc in both sessions and came out on top in their lengthy Sunday battle. This allowed the Briton to stand on the third step of the podium, alongside the Mercedes drivers, who eventually proved untouchable.

This was a relief for Hamilton, who endured the longest wait for a maiden Ferrari podium in history, as this was his 26th grand prix start with the Scuderia. “I started this voyage and this dream of moving to Ferrari and being on the top step with them, and this podium has taken longer than I had hoped,” the seven-time world champion admitted. “After a difficult year last year, to be able to be a part of developing with them, working with them over the past year, gives me huge pride and it’s such a privilege to be a part of this brand.

They provided us a really solid car. ” Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Asked if he felt as though he was now back to his best after a tricky first year in the Maranello-based squad, the 41-year-old replied: “I definitely feel like I’m back to my best, both mentally and physically, yes. ” But Hamilton still pointed to “room to improve”, partly due to his age and partly because he’s still adapting to the Italian outfit.

The Englishman has switched to a new race engineer in Carlo Santi, who previously worked with Kimi Raikkonen ; this arrangement is provisional for the time being, with a decision to be made later on whether Santi will complete the season in this role. “Training this winter has been the heaviest and the most intense that I’ve ever had, and that probably comes hand in hand with being older,” the Englishman said. “It takes longer to recover.