Lewis Hamilton expecting overhaul after 'subtle' change ruins Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that his Ferrari team can undo the "subtle" change to his car, which "threw" it in a different direction at the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint.

After initially feeling comfortable in the SF-26 during the sole practice session on Friday, Hamilton lost it during Sprint Qualifying, and could only manage seventh on the grid in the upgraded Ferrari, which featured a new floor and diffuser. 

He could not advance from seventh in the race, taking two points and falling to 53 behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished fourth, with race-winner George Russell moving to three behind his former team-mate.

Hamilton explained on Friday that he had felt he had gone in slightly the wrong direction with set-up compared to team-mate Charles Leclerc, but due to the parc ferme regulations, he was forced to carry this set-up into the 24-lap Sprint.

However, between the Sprint and grand prix qualifying, parc ferme is reopened, allowing drivers to change their set-ups without incurring a penalty, something Hamilton hopes Ferrari can take advantage of.

"The car felt quite good in FP1, and then there was a subtle change, and it really threw the car in a different direction in qualifying, which we then carried into the race," Hamilton said.

"So, I hope we can make that change back to something similar to what we had in FP1."