‘You won’t see that person again’: Lewis Hamilton opens up on eve of 2026 F1 season
· Yahoo Sports
Lewis Hamilton admits he “lost sight of who he was” amid a chastening first year at Ferrari but promised on the eve of the 2026 F1 season: “You won’t see that person again.”
The seven-time world champion, embarking on a record 20th consecutive season in Formula 1, endured his worst-ever campaign last year - his first in the scarlet red of Ferrari, in which he failed to even register a podium.
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Yet buoyed by a promising testing window, which included Ferrari’s electric pace off the start-line, 41-year-old Hamilton was extremely upbeat ahead of this weekend’s season-opener on the streets of Albert Park.
“It’s massively different to the first year and a much nicer feeling,” Hamilton said. “Having spent a year at the team… I think we’re in a good place now together. I feel very gelled.”
Hamilton’s optimism then transcended into all-out honesty, in which he acknowledged that his regular dejection on team radio and in the media pen last year were not something that would be repeated in 2026. Notably, he has posted a series of inspiring posts on social media in the last few weeks and also revealed he was hard at work, in the gym, on Christmas Day.
Detailing his pre-season activities, the Briton said: “The break was really positive. It was my surroundings, it was the people that I was with. It’s not my first rodeo, so it’s understanding how to flip things.
“It’s not that easy to do each time, but I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude and that’s what I focus on in my winter.
“A lot of it came from training. I was training hard from Christmas Day. Also, knowing that I believe in myself, that I’ve put more work in than anyone around me, and I believe in myself. Rediscovering myself was a big part of it as well.
Lewis Hamilton insists he ‘lost sight of who he was’ in 2025 (Getty Images)“As I said in one of my [Instagram] posts, I kind of lost sight for a second of who I was, and that person’s gone, so you won’t see that person again.”
As well as talking passionately about the continent of Africa, he insisted he has now found “allyship within his Ferrari team. He added: “Because it was such a steep learning curve last year and we were learning on the go, we’re so much more prepared this year.
“It goes back to the confidence, the reason I joined the team, the belief that I have in joining the team and what I believe I can do with this team is even stronger than it ever was before.”
Lastly, the inevitable topic of what his goal is for the season ahead was answered before Tom Clarkson, the FIA press conference conductor-in-chief, even finished his question. A record-breaking eighth title remains his ultimate destiny.
Mercedes’ George Russell is the favourite for the title (PA Wire)“The goal is to win: that’s what we’re working towards,” he said, in no uncertain terms. “To maximise on every opportunity, to be fighting in the top group, hopefully in the first [few] races.
“Mercedes look particularly quick, and I’m not really sure whether we’ve seen the full, unleashed Red Bull yet, so it’s really exciting. But whatever the case, I feel like I’ve got a great group of people behind me who are head down, focused on bringing performance and really maximising every weekend.”
While Hamilton’s former teammate at Mercedes, George Russell, is the bookies' favourite, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri should be contending at the top, given how closely grouped the top four teams were at testing.
As a new era dawns, with new engine and chassis regulations changing the game, Melbourne will give us a first taste of who has the edge in 2026.