F1 2026 is an opportunity at redemption for Lewis Hamilton, as the sport\u2019s most successful driver looks to kick on after a disappointing first year with Ferrari.<\/p>\n
Hamilton went without a podium in 2025, but iconic former sprinter Usain Bolt \u2013 from one elite athlete to another \u2013 says Hamilton\u2019s past achievements make it easier to find his way back to the pinnacle of the sport.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton tipped to \u2018really show up again\u2019 at Ferrari<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Hamilton<\/a> is striving to win a record eighth World Championship, and simultaneously end Ferrari\u2019s title drought, ongoing since 2008.<\/p>\n He arrived in Maranello to great fanfare in 2025. But the union of Formula 1\u2019s most successful team and driver stumbled out of the blocks.<\/p>\n Hamilton failed to score a podium, in a year which did not produce any Ferrari grand prix wins. He did, however,\u00a0Hamilton did provide Ferrari\u2019s only form of victory by winning the China Sprint, but it was one of very few highlights.<\/p>\n With the chassis and engine regulations drastically overhauled for F1 2026, Hamilton has already declared the new cars \u201cmore enjoyable\u201d to drive<\/a>, while he has felt a \u201cwinning mentality\u201d at Ferrari. Hamilton set the fastest lap of the Barcelona closed-doors shakedown according to the unofficial timesheets.<\/p>\n The road back to the World Championship \u2013 which Hamilton is looking to follow to a record eighth title \u2013 is one which Bolt believes is made easier to navigate by Hamilton\u2019s track record.<\/p>\n Bolt, widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, is an avid Hamilton supporter, and in 2023, picked Hamilton as his F1 icon, as part of a series for the Formula 1 website.<\/p>\n Speaking about Hamilton with RacingNews365, Bolt said: \u201cFor me, it\u2019s always going to be tough. But as a person who knows what it takes to get to the top, it\u2019s never going to be perfect.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s much easier to get back to the top, because you know the work, and you know what you need to do to get back on top.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for me, I know it\u2019s going to be tough on Lewis. It\u2019s going to take him at least two years to really get comfortable, settle in, and get used to Ferrari.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I look forward to the upcoming years; he\u2019s going to really show up again.<\/p>\n More on Lewis Hamilton from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton\u2019s Barcelona P1 under spotlight amid \u2018handful\u2019 Ferrari SF-26 talk<\/a><\/p>\n Hinchcliffe: Lewis Hamilton has the most to prove in F1 2026 after \u2018shocker\u2019 Ferrari debut<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI look forward to the moment when he gets back on top, because, as I said, he knows what it takes to get there and to stay there.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton split with manager Marc Hynes ahead of the F1 2026 campaign, and is also set to link-up with a new race engineer, as he bids to turn his Ferrari career around.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n