Lewis Hamilton handed 'spring in his step' boost after F1 misery

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill has noted Lewis Hamilton has a “spring in his step” after a positive start to the 2026 season.

Hamilton scored his maiden podium for Ferrari last time out in China, crossing the line in third place behind the Mercedes duo.

The seven-time champion has highlighted he is feeling much more comfortable with this year's car, which has been built under a new set of technical regulations.

Having had his demons with the previous generation of cars, Hamilton's resurgence in form has been aided by the car being in a more competitive position, according to Hill.

“He got very down, rebuilt himself and he’s back with a spring in his step,” Hill told the Stay on Track podcast.

“It clearly helps if they’ve got a sniff. I always said this - give him a sniff of victory, and suddenly you’ll see a different guy.

“He does need to have a car that he can use, and he seems to be revelling in these regulations.

“The way that the downforce is delivering the grip, the balance in the car, seems to be something he can play with.

“There’s a lot of movement, isn’t there? They’re not, they’re not on rails like they were with the [previous cars].”

Hamilton struggled for form during his final years with Mercedes before his switch to Ferrari failed to produce initial results, leading Hamilton to question his own abilities.

Johnny Herbert, who was Hill's co-host on the podcast, also weighed in on the noticeable difference from Hamilton this year.

“I saw a comment where he said he can be more aggressive with it,” he said.

“With the ground effect ones, he didn’t feel he could do that. As soon as you got to that edge, you fell over that cliff.

“The thing was just very difficult to drive. But it’s amazing how he struggled with that. And he’s adapted to this year’s cars.

“But Charles was actually more comfortable with the ground effect car as well, and he’s still there or thereabouts with Lewis at the moment.

“It’s amazing how a particular car’s feeling within the cockpit can make such a difference to the way that the driver responds.