Lewis Hamilton receives clear verdict on F1 'pressure' issue

F1 fans believe Lewis Hamilton is under the most pressure to perform in the 2026 F1 season, out of the drivers from the leading four teams.

The Ferrari driver endured the most challenging year of his F1 career in 2025, failing to reach the podium for the first time over the course of a campaign.

The SF-25 proved a pale imitation of its predecessor, and any hope or optimism about Hamilton helping return the Scuderia to championship-winning ways was soon dashed.

The seven-time F1 drivers' champion heads into the season needing to prove the Scuderia made the right choice in signing him, which simultaneously meant letting Carlos Sainz, who has impressed with Williams, leave.

As part of a RacingNews365 series, fans were asked to vote for the driver they deemed to be facing the most intense expectations in the campaign ahead, with the poll broken down into three sections: the expected front runners, the midfield, and the pretenders, which comprises Alpine and new teams Audi and Cadillac.

In the first heat, respondents selected Hamilton as the clear winner, with Isack Hadjar the runner-up. Therefore, that pair will advance to the finale — alongside the winners of Heat 2 and Heat 3.

Check out the full results from Heat 1 below!