Lewis Hamilton fires 'how it's going to be' vow after Ferrari F1 furore

Lewis Hamilton has insisted that for as long as he remains at Ferrari, he will continue to try and mould the team into a championship-winning organisation. 

Ferrari has not won the drivers' title since Hamilton's rookie season of 2007, when Kimi Raikkonen clinched the title, with its last constructors' crown coming in 2008, with one factor in Hamilton's defection from Mercedes to Maranello being the lure of restoring the Scuderia to title-winning ways. 

After struggling badly in his first season and going without a podium for the first time in his career, Hamilton has rebounded in 2026 and was a factor in the title race up until the summer break but fell out of contention - with a five-way fight for second in the drivers' championship now shaping up.

With three rounds remaining, Hamilton is fourth, just one point behind George Russell, and 17 behind Max Verstappen, but Ferrari is also having to deal with tensions between its drivers as Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, two number one drivers, butt heads, with their battle in Mexico City costing a likely one-two finish.

Hamilton entered what had firmly been Leclerc's domain when he jumped ship from Mercedes, with the Monegasque being a homegrown driver from the Ferrari Driver Academy, and having seen off Sebastian Vettel after just two seasons in the senior team at the end of 2020. 

However, Hamilton has insisted that his drive and forceful nature to change Ferrari to his championship-winning knowledge will continue and is "how it is going to be."

"He's been here a long time, for eight years and has nine wins with the team, and he is very much embedded within the team," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365, when asked if Leclerc's status as a homegrown driver affected the Briton's ability to make change.

"I always knew that it would be a challenge. I've always respected that, and I've approached the team; I've really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles, bridge the gap, and make sure that we're harmonious and we work hard together. 

"I always try to be respectful, and so naturally, it's not so easy having someone like me come into a team because I'm very outspoken and I push and push and push. 

"I've pushed for so many changes, and I'm going to be pushing for more, and as long as I'm here, that's how it's going to be. 

"I'm here to win, and to be able to win, you have to work with everyone around you. You're all rowing, trying to get everyone to row at the same pace and with the same strength, and you have to push, and I have to push. I have to be pushed also to elevate. 

"We all can always elevate and be better, and I truly believe that this team can be fighting for the championship next year."

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Ferrari improvements

Ferrari's SF-26 chassis has been regarded as one of the strongest on the grid, but it has been let down by the power unit, which lacks top-end speed.

Ferrari initially opted for a smaller turbo, which gives excellent drivability but lacks punch at the end of straights, with the team using some of its ADUO tokens on a new design for the Italian GP. 

The engine is one area Hamilton hopes will "pull through" in the 2027 championship tilt.

"We're now in the process of, I'm in the process of working with the head of aero and the head of vehicle dynamics to make sure that we hold on to the goodness of the car we have this year and fix some of the small subtle things that could be better," he said.

"And obviously, the power unit [department is] doing their thing, and I really hope they're able to pull through."