Ferrari issues 'bigger picture' verdict after Lewis Hamilton request

Ferrari feels focusing on the "big picture" of car development will boost performance more than individual driver demands, after a request from Lewis Hamilton.

Whilst Hamilton has largely struggled to adapt to the Ferrari since joining the team, there have been some positive signs in recent weekends, but he remains without a grand prix podium this year.

Hamilton has spoken of his desire to work with the engineers to guide the characteristics of the 2026 car towards his own liking, having moved towards Charles Leclerc's set-up over the past handful of weekends, but this is not to his liking, finding it too oversteery. 

This brought a pair of fourth places in Austria and Britain, as deputy team boss Jerome D'Ambrosio explained how there were "two phases" to car development, with the global picture taking priority over driver input.

"Obviously, we do listen to the driver input, and when you do the meetings at the factory, the drivers are converging on what they need, conceptually, from the car," D'Ambrosio told media, including RacingNews365.

"We have these discussions, we try to take these things into consideration, and it is a part of development of bringing a package which is just maximising downforce and performance, but there are a lot of things we can do to make sure the drivers have the tools, and that a driver is able to work with the car to suit his driving style as much as possible.

"There are two phases to it, and I don't think it is completely disconnected, but there is the overall big picture, which brings performance.

"Then in the second phase are the details of what the driver might need, and so on, and in that, you definitely have to listen to the driver."