Lewis Hamilton so far in 2026: Glimpses of greatness
18 May 2026The 2026 British Grand Prix is edging closer, and as Silverstone prepares to welcome the home heroes back onto British soil, we’re continuing our look at how the UK F1 drivers have performed so far this season. Next up is the driver of the #44 Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton.
After more than a decade with Mercedes, the sight of the seven-time World Champion in red still feels slightly surreal after over a year.
But while the opening races of his sophomore season with the Scuderia have delivered flashes of his old brilliance, they’ve also shown the scale of the challenge he faces.
There have been moments where Hamilton has looked reborn, and there have been others where he’s looked like a driver still adapting to a very different environment.
Through it all, one thing has remained constant: whenever he and team-mate Charles Leclerc find each other on track, sparks fly.
Melbourne: A steady beginning
At Albert Park Circuit, Hamilton’s first full Grand Prix weekend didn’t get off to a stellar start.
A sluggish launch off the line dropped him down the order through the opening corners while Leclerc surged into the lead at the front.
As the race settled down, however, Hamilton gradually worked his way back into the fight at the front, briefly joining the lead battle between Leclerc and George Russell.
While he ultimately missed out on the podium, crossing the line just behind his team-mate in fourth, there were encouraging signs beneath the result.
Hamilton’s race pace looked competitive and perhaps most importantly, he appeared more comfortable in Ferrari machinery than he did for most of 2025.
Shanghai: Vintage Hamilton
Lewis launched himself into the lead of the Sprint Race with a bold move on Russell into the opening sequence of corners.
For several laps, Hamilton and Russell traded blows in a tense fight for the lead, before attention shifted to Leclerc in the other Ferrari once again.
Hamilton and Leclerc spent much of the Sprint race locked together in a relentless battle, swapping positions corner after corner. Eventually, Hamilton emerged with third place, but the bigger takeaway was the pace with Ferrari looking like a genuine threat.
On Sunday, Hamilton once again nailed the opening phase, sweeping into the lead at the start of the Grand Prix and briefly controlling proceedings, before Kimi Antonelli reclaimed the position early in the race.
From there, the battle resumed. First with Russell, during the restart phase, and then once more with Leclerc in another intense intra-team duel that thrilled fans.
This time, though, Hamilton held on for his first Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver.
Suzuka: Struggles in Japan
For much of the race in Japan, Hamilton drifted quietly through the order without ever looking like a genuine podium contender. Compared to Leclerc, the outright pace simply wasn’t there, and Hamilton spent long periods isolated from the front runners.
But a well-timed stop under the Safety Car vaulted him forward, promoting him into podium contention and allowing him to leapfrog Russell after the restart. Suddenly, Hamilton was back in the fight.
What followed was yet another scrap with Leclerc, but unlike in China, this battle tilted in the Monegasque driver’s favour. As the closing laps unfolded, Hamilton’s pace began to fade, allowing both Leclerc and Russell back through before Lando Norris also moved ahead late on. By the flag, Hamilton had slipped back to sixth.
Miami: More frustration
The Miami Sprint race brought another chapter in Hamilton’s long-running rivalry with Max Verstappen as the pair banged wheels through the opening sequence.
Although Hamilton initially emerged ahead and climbed into sixth, Verstappen fought back later in the race to reclaim the position and Lewis eventually finished seventh.
Sunday proved even more challenging for Hamilton. He narrowly avoided becoming entangled in an early incident involving a spinning Verstappen, before making contact with Franco Colapinto during the chaotic opening laps.
Although he initially climbed forward, he lacked the pace to stay competitive over the full distance.
Seventh place reflected another subdued weekend, and more noticeably, another race where Leclerc appeared to have more of a handle on the Ferrari.
Finding consistency
Hamilton’s opening phase of 2026 has shown signs of encouragement, while there’s also been an unshakable feeling of deja vu.
The flashes of old Hamilton brilliance have been unmistakable. The starts in China, the wheel-to-wheel battles with Leclerc.
But over full race weekends, the consistency hasn’t fully arrived yet. And as of Miami, it seems Ferrari have lost the spot of second fastest team to McLaren.
As it stands, it remains to be seen whether Hamilton and Ferrari can get back to their strong start to 2026.
