Lewis Hamilton makes 'DNA' claim in latest Ferrari assessment

Lewis Hamilton believes he has now imputed more of his "DNA" into Ferrari's 2026 F1 car after "inheriting" the troubled 2025 machine.

Hamilton is looking to bounce back from his worst season in F1 during his debut campaign at Ferrari, in which he failed to score a grand prix podium for the first time.

The 41-year-old's driving style was at odds with the ground effect machines, with the new breed of cars more akin to his style, as he is also navigating a number of changes, including to his race engineer, with Riccardo Adami moved on after a difficult season working with Hamilton last term.

Adami's permanent replacement is yet to be named, as Carlo Santi has stepped in temporarily, with Hamilton buoyed by being able to help mould the 2026 machine more to his liking after having to be dropped into a car originally designed for team-mate Charles Leclerc, and the driver he replaced, Carlos Sainz. 

"I don't remember the last five years, but I always try to enter a season with confidence, but of course, you are faced with all sorts of different challenges along the way," Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365. 

"For me, obviously, I've gone through quite a bit, and all of last year is behind me. I've really spent a lot of time rebuilding over this winter, refocusing, really getting my body and my mind in a much better place.

"I generally feel personally in the best place I've been in a long time, with rearranging things with the team, and we've started off quite well so far, and it is an exciting time with this new generation of car, because it is all brand-new.

"We're all trying to figure it out on the go, and last year, we were locked into a car I ultimately inherited.

"This is a car I've been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last 8-10 months, and so l feel like a bit of my DNA is within it, so I'm more connected.

"My belief in the team is still absolutely 100% faith of what they're capable of, and that's why I joined the team.

"I knew it wasn't going to be an overnight thing where we'd have success immediately, and that is why I signed a longer deal, because I knew it was a process.

"We learned a huge amount from last year as a team, and there have been changes we've made. Everyone's constantly keen to make improvements and be better, and so I think we're working better together than ever before, and so I'm excited for that moving forward."