Lewis Hamilton dismisses widely held theory after F1 resurgence

Lewis Hamilton does not believe his 2026 resurgence in F1 is solely down to the change in philosophy of the cars. 

The driving style required by the ground effect machines of 2022-2025 was at odds with Hamilton's long-established style of braking late and hard and being aggressive on corner entry and exit. 

Hamilton was a firm proponent of 'v-ing' a corner, whereas the ground effect cars rewarded drivers who 'u'd' a corner, where they would brake early and roll the car through the corner, with the downforce being generated from the underbody and floor.

For 2026, the chassis regulations returned to a pre-2022 style of downforce being largely generated by wings and the return of the aerodynamic rake - the difference in height between the front and rear of the car - something Hamilton's then-Mercedes team aced in the 2017-2021 rules, bringing him four of his six titles with the team. 

However, Hamilton does not believe that this alone is the reason for his upturn in form in 2026 after his annus horribilis in 2025 at Ferrari - and pointed to some of the background changes he has forced through, with the help of boss Fred Vasseur, including the use of Carbon Industrie brake discs, with Ferrari long using Brembo materials.

"I think people do talk about my driving style not working in the previous car, and for sure I was less happy in the previous car, but I still won races, was still able to pull out great races, like Silverstone [2024], for example," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365. 

"So I think if your driving style doesn't suit a generation, you don't get a win. I think it's just being able to adapt. I think last year there were many elements that just wouldn't work for me with the setup that we had here, and it's taken a long time to get those things changed. 

"We're starting to see those things change, and for that I'm really grateful.

"My goal coming to the team is to come in and observe, see if I can bring 20 years of experience, seven championships that I've won, experience and input that into an already great organisation and help them level up, and that's what I'm trying to do.

"So I'm leaving no stone unturned. I told you last year how much work I was doing in the background to try and help a team navigate and improve, and finally we've started to see the first step."