Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari surrounded by immense expectations, which fell well short of being met last year. However, he turned things around in 2026 and currently sits second in the Drivers’ Championship, 50 points behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi explained that current cars feature less downforce, making them harder to drive—the reason why he believes the driver of the #44 car has stepped up, as raw talent has become more evident. The Brazilian also recalled facing just as much criticism as the seven-time champion during his F1 and IndyCar stints.

In addition to driving an uncompetitive SF-25, Hamilton struggled to adapt and failed to score a single podium in his first year with Ferrari. Furthermore, he was frequently affected by the lack of results, giving several gloomy interviews and even going so far as to suggest the team should swap drivers.

However, the situation transformed completely with the introduction of the new regulations, which forced every team to design a car entirely from scratch. Lewis played a substantial role in the development of the SF-26 and immediately felt more at home. Results quickly followed, with his first victory in red coming at the Catalunya GP.

Fittipaldi pointed out a factor few have mentioned regarding the seven-time champion’s comeback: the size of the new generation of cars, which are smaller than their predecessors. It is worth noting that the driver of the #44 struggled with the ground-effect models used between 2022 and 2025, which also featured significantly higher downforce compared to the current machinery.

Emerson Fittipaldi explained Lewis Hamilton’s evolution at Ferrari (Photo: Reproduction)

“One thing almost no one talks about is the new car. It’s smaller, and you have to settle for less downforce, which in my opinion makes driving more complex—it has become harder to be fast. That’s why I think it highlights talent even more. And that is one of the reasons why Lewis managed to improve,” the two-time champion explained to F1’s official website.

Beyond the changes to the cars, Emerson believes that Hamilton being more accustomed to Ferrari’s personnel and working environment has also contributed to his resurgence in 2026.

“He has a great feel for the car and controls it because he is an extremely talented driver. Plus, this is his second year at Ferrari—he knows the engineers and is already familiar with the system as well,” he emphasized.

Fittipaldi also highlighted that he was once target of as much criticism as Lewis. The Brazilian spent 11 seasons in Formula 1 before moving to IndyCar in 1984. Although he didn’t win in his rookie year in the series, he adapted later on to become champion in 1989, as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 twice: in his championship-winning year and again in 1993.

Emerson Fittipaldi recalled that he was once criticized as much as Lewis Hamilton (Photo: Reproduction)

“I still remember last year very well. The same thing happened to me in IndyCar and Formula 1. As you get older, people say you can’t drive anymore, and in 2025 Lewis was targeted by criticism from all sides,” he stressed.

“But now he is competitive again, and that is good for the sport and for the fans. I was very happy when I saw how fast Lewis and Ferrari are. It’s fantastic to see them winning again,” he concluded.

Formula 1 is currently on summer break. The series resumes 2026 season action from August 21 to 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.