Seven-time Formula 1 race winner and former Ferrari driver René Arnoux has branded Lewis Hamilton a "true champion", with the Scuderia finding serious form.
After a disappointing first campaign together in 2025, Hamilton and Ferrari are now heading firmly in the right direction, following three outstanding results in consecutive races.
Hamilton secured his first podium for the Maranello-based outfit earlier this season in China before hitting scintillating form from Canada onwards.
The seven-time world champion has finished second, second and first across the last three rounds, the latest being an emotional maiden Ferrari victory in Barcelona.
It has put the 41-year-old firmly into title contention, leaving him just 41 points adrift of Kimi Antonelli, while Mercedes continues to suffer regular reliability issues.
Hamilton's recent form has silenced many doubters of the 106-time race winner, while Ferrari, as a team, is enjoying its strongest run of form for several years.
Ferrari's aggressive development approach is delivering immediate results, with another upgrade package reportedly in the pipeline for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Asked for his thoughts on Hamilton and Ferrari in Barcelona, Arnoux told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Both surprised me. I thought Hamilton had lost his edge with age, but he proved to be a true champion.
"He took the team on his shoulders, earning the fans' trust. Ferrari, on the other hand, has made a huge step forward.
"The developments have worked, and the championship is still long. All the ingredients are there for a nail-biting battle with Mercedes."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on last weekend's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix! Lewis Hamilton's first win for Ferrari is a major talking point, as is the growing concern that Mercedes has a serious reliability issue.
Rather watch this podcast? Then click here!
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!