Lewis Hamilton Calls Current F1 Cars His 'Worst' Era, Prays for 2026 Reset
Lewis Hamilton has branded the current ground-effect F1 era his 'worst,' revealing he won't miss a single thing about the cars that don't suit his driving style. He's now pinning his hopes on a major reset with Ferrari for the 2026 season.
Lewis Hamilton is 'praying' for a change of fortune with the 2026 F1 regulations, openly calling the current ground-effect era his 'worst' since joining the sport in 2007. The seven-time champion has struggled immensely with these cars, which he claims don't reward his driving style, leaving him with just two wins since their introduction in 2022.
Why it matters:
Hamilton's deep frustration with the current rules underscores a significant disconnect between one of F1's all-time greats and the modern product. For a driver of his caliber to publicly state there's 'not a single thing I'll miss' about these cars raises questions about the regulations and their impact on driver expression. As he embarks on a new chapter with Ferrari, the 2026 reset isn't just a hope—it's a critical necessity for a title challenge.
The details:
- Performance Decline: Hamilton has managed only two of his 105 career wins in the ground-effect era, a stark contrast to his dominant years.
- Driving Style Mismatch: The seven-time champion feels the cars punish his aggressive, late-braking style and sharp corner entry, preventing him from extracting his maximum performance.
- A Tale of Two Eras: Hamilton contrasted this period with previous regulation changes:
- 2009 McLaren: A 'disaster' where the team built to the wrong downforce targets and were 'miles off' the pace.
- 2014 & 2017 Mercedes: A huge success that led to six world titles, with Hamilton particularly loving the 'beefier,' high-downforce 2017 cars.
- Tough Ferrari Debut: His 2025 season was a struggle, finishing sixth in the standings with a sole sprint win in Shanghai as his only highlight.
What's next:
The 2026 season, featuring massive chassis and power unit changes, represents a clean slate for Hamilton and Ferrari. He fully supported the team's decision to halt development on the 2025 car early to focus resources on the new project. Hamilton is pushing the team to ensure they are not left behind in the development race, viewing the new regulations as his best—and perhaps last—chance to challenge for an eighth world title.