Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari driver has ‘very good chance’ of 2026 F1 season, says former team-mate Jenson Button | F1 News
The 2026 Formula 1 season offers Lewis Hamilton a “great opportunity to turn it around” at Ferrari, according to former team-mate Jenson Button.
Hamilton made the big switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, but his first year in red was a tough one as the seven-time world champion sat out a full campaign outside the grand prix for the first time in his career.
However, the introduction of new regulations for the 2026 season gives hope that Ferrari can provide Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc with a more competitive car than the one that left the team fourth in last year’s Constructors’ Championship.
Hamilton has spoken throughout his first year at Ferrari about his efforts to influence the design of their 2026 car, and Button believes his success with that machine will play a key role in determining what happens when the new season starts next month with the Australian Grand Prix.
More about whether you were able to influence the car itself, that’s it,” said the 2009 world champion no. Sky Sports F1 pundit Button, who drove alongside Hamilton at McLaren from 2010-2012.
“Jumping to another team against someone who has been there for years is always difficult, but now he has time with the team, he is building a good relationship, and hopefully he has a lot of knowledge about the car and how it feels.
“It’s an important year for him, if he doesn’t work this year, I don’t know if he will work again. This is a good opportunity for him to change it.”
“But also for Ferrari. It hasn’t been a few years yet, so it would be good to see them fight for victory again.”
Hamilton, Ferrari impress at start of Bahrain test
Button was speaking ahead of F1’s first official pre-season testing event in Bahrain, the first of which was last week’s Ferrari put on a spectacular display.
While testing times at testing must be watched carefully if teams are likely to slow down performance, Ferrari’s combination of speed and reliability was undoubtedly impressive ahead of the final three-day test, which starts on Wednesday.
Hamilton’s race performance on the final day of the first event impressed McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, who compared it to the efforts of his co-driver Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli at the same time.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports’ Craig Slater and Ted Kravitz take a look at pre-season testing so far as the first week of racing in Bahrain comes to a close.
Stella said: “I can confirm that the speed of the Ferrari race looks very good. In the comparison that Hamilton did today, then there is, at the same time, one from Antonelli and Oscar.
“I think that Antonelli and Hamilton were faster than us today in the simulation of the race, if you look at the times. And anyway, I can say that yesterday Charles was very competitive and at the same level as today’s simulations.
“At the same time, I invite everyone to be careful and pay close attention to what we see in the tests.
“However, the early indications from a competitive point of view, I think, certainly put Ferrari and Mercedes at the top of the list, as far as those seem to be good from a performance point of view, in particular. I can’t comment on reliability, this we will see.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch highlights from day three of Bahrain’s first pre-season test.
There was another potential incentive for Hamilton to take on his race because he is understood to be faster than Leclerc, albeit in a much better condition as the track has improved.
Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz said: “With the package of improvements that brought them to the second day in Bahrain – a new front wing, a new floor, a new diffuser – Ferrari is finished in the simulation of the race, with Charles Leclerc on Thursday and Lewis Hamilton on Friday, they are very fast in the simulation of the race, they finished the Bahrain Grand Prix faster than anyone else.
“Lewis’ race was faster than Charles, but he was ahead, at the same time of day.”
Bahrain testing schedule for Sky Sports F1
Second Test: Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th February
- 6.50am-11.05am: Morning session Live
- 11.55am-4.10pm: Afternoon session Live
- 8pm: Test wrap
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
