Lewis Hamilton might receive big boost for 2026 championship bid after latest report suggests Ferrari’s crucial step

Lewis Hamilton's fortunes at Ferrari may improve from the 2026 season, following a latest report emanating from the Italian media. The British driver could be set to finally get a solution to one of the major issues he has faced since his switch to the Italian outfit.

According to a fresh report courtesy of media outlet Formula Passion Italy, the Scuderia Ferrari outfit is exploring the option of designing its 2026 challenger in a manner that suits the preference of the seven-time world champion. The report further highlights that although the car would not be outrightly tailored towards the preference of Hamilton, it is expected to suit him more compared to the current SF-25 machinery. Notably, Ferrari are working on brake modifications and changes in rear suspension, and they are expected to make life easier for Hamilton.

It is worth noting that one of Lewis Hamilton’s biggest concerns since his switch to the Maranello-based outfit has been centered around the design of the Ferrari car, widely believed to have been tailored more around Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver is known to be in favour of an understeery car and a lighter rear end, whereas Hamilton favours a rear end that offers more load and stability.

Since the Canadian Grand Prix, reports have surfaced detailing that Hamilton has adjusted his driving setup to mirror that of Leclerc to further achieve better results with the Ferrari challenger. With this new report ahead of the 2026 campaign, the seven-time champion could be expected to be closer to the front-runners than he has proven to be since his move to the Prancing Horse outfit.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on his Hungarian Grand Prix outing

Earlier, Lewis Hamilton also reflected on his outing at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 40-year-old endured a torrid race around the Hungaroring, only able to muster a 12th-place finish.

The former Mercedes driver, who boasts the record as being the most successful driver around the Budapest track, failed to progress past the second round of qualifying before enduring what could be dubbed a lonely race during the Grand Prix. When quizzed about his overall assessment of his race during his interaction with F1 TV, he acknowledged how underwhelming it was.

“Pretty bad (while summing up his experience). Not really, no. Just stuck where I was,” Lewis Hamilton stated when he was enquired whether there was any progress.

Quizzed further about whether he had learnt anything from the race, he continued:

“Same as it was yesterday. I’m glad it’s over. I’m looking forward to going away.”

Lewis Hamilton's outing at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend marked the first race where he finished outside the points since his switch to the Ferrari team. The former McLaren driver largely found success few and far between, with his only triumph so far at the Italian outfit being his Chinese Grand Prix Sprint race victory in Shanghai.

Hamilton will now have his focus on a much-improved performance when the Formula 1 season returns with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.