LH44: where do we go now?

Last year Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with nothing to do with the build of the car, forced to drive machinery that wasn't built for him, unable to implement the changes he needed within the budget cap. The result was the worst season of his career. Zero wins.

2026 feels different. He decided on Christmas Day how he was going to approach the season, mentally and physically, and he has held to that commitment. A podium in China, a competitive Australia, a new race engineer, and a Ferrari that he completed 142 laps at Fiorano testing during the break, with Ferrari also heading to Monza for a filming day on April 22 to optimise their power unit ahead of Miami.

But let's be clear about where the ceiling is. Ferrari's team principal Fred Vasseur has publicly acknowledged the team has a "deficit of performance in a straight line" that must be addressed. Lewis Hamilton knows this. The current gap to Mercedes is real, and they are not slowing down. The redemption arc is real too. Whether those two things can coexist long enough to produce a race win before the season is out is the most compelling Hamilton question of the year.

Countdown to Miami, and we’re off to the races!