Lewis Hamilton Declares F1 Finally Feels Like REAL Racing Again

Lewis Hamilton is delighted to have moved on from the ground-effect era and entered the fifth regulation overhaul of his career. The previous generation remained disappointing for Hamilton as he could only salvage a couple of race wins over the four years. However, the 2026 regulations seem to be suited for the seven-time champion, as he claims that F1 feels like real racing now.

Notably, Lewis Hamilton set the fastest unofficial lap time during the private testing in Barcelona ahead of the commencement of the 2026 season. Though these lap times cannot be directly translated to performance, as different teams have different goals over the session. Now, Hamilton spoke candidly about the new regulation and what it would mean for him going forward.

Speaking on the 2026 F1 regulations, Lewis Hamilton noted that they were more fun to drive compared to the previous ones. The 41-year-old noted that the cars felt snappy and ‘oversteery’, but it was still easier to get the hang of. Hamilton happily concluded that the new regulations were more enjoyable for him as he hoped to fare much better this time around than the previous season.

The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive, It’s oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch. I would definitely say more enjoyable.

Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

Regardless of positive indicators early on, Lewis Hamilton accepted that there was still a lot of work pending in order to return to their winning ways. Regardless, Ferrari was at an all-time high in terms of motivation to win in the coming season. As such, Hamilton applauded the winning mentality in each and every crew member at the Italian squad.

But we definitely have work to do to improve, of course, like everybody does. But I think we’ve had great debriefs. Everyone’s really on it. I really feel the winning mentality, like, in every single person in the team more than ever. So it’s a positive.

Lewis Hamilton added

Lewis Hamilton anticipates ‘downtime moments’ for Ferrari ahead of 2026 season

The first race weekend of the 2026 season is still around a month away, as the teams will have to undergo two different sets of testing sessions prior to that. Although Ferrari’s performance has been trouble-free so far, anything can happen with the new regulations. Hence, Lewis Hamilton admitted that there certainly will be some moments of struggle for the team, even before the official beginning of the racing calendar.

Lewis Hamilton pointed out that there were always small things that could lead to bigger issues during premature days. The 41-year-old is looking forward to the downtime moments and getting through them together as a unit with Ferrari. Regardless, the sessions so far have been really solid and are all pointing towards the Scuderia starting the season on the right foot.

Of course, there’s always small things, but we didn’t really have any downtime moments, while I’m sure perhaps they could potentially come up in the next weeks, but otherwise it’s a really, really solid couple of days. And then in terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years.

Lewis Hamilton noted.

The 2026 season will be crucial for Lewis Hamilton’s continuation in Formula 1, as he might not be able to live through such a nightmare year again. Moreover, the team’s performance this year will set their pace for the remainder of the regulations. Still, it will be exciting to witness Hamilton competing for his record-breaking eighth championship win, if he manages to remain consistent over the season.

Read More: Oscar Piastri Exposes McLaren’s “Unique Scenario” as Different Priorities Emerge

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