Lewis Hamilton has already turned over a new leaf and tries to charge Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton’s disastrous first season in Ferrari came to a close Monday in Abu Dhabi with testing ahead of a 2026 that everyone in Maranello hopes will be better. Hard to do worse anyway than the zero seasonal podiums of a 2025 in which only one victory came in a sprint when anything or almost anything still seemed possible. The seven-time world champion, as well as his teammate Charles Leclerc, was able to try out the tires for the upcoming championship, as well as familiarize himself with the new regulations that are also expected to change the hierarchies on the track.

Andrea Gussoni

“It was a great learning opportunity and overall it was a very positive day. I am really grateful to all the guys in the pit box for working so hard during this last day of testing at the end of a long season, which is not at all easy. I am proud of them because they gave it their all and I am grateful to them for sticking it out until the end of this day.” In Abu Dhabi, the drivers in particular tested one set of C2s and three sets each of C3s, C4s and C5s turning with specially adapted mule cars to simulate the low aerodynamic load and behavior the single-seaters will face from next year.

Hamilton of course has been harshly criticized for his achievements. The’latest to point the finger at him was Maurizio Arrivabene on Race Anatomy on Sky, belittling the famous dossiers sent during 2025 by the Briton: “Even Vettel was writing and talking and everything. Useful stuff? No. It’s not that I resent Sebastian, but everyone has to do his job. From this point of view, the driver’s job is not only to drive, but also to develop the single-seater. If then the driver gets to be an engineer, then good night to the bucket. Drivers come to the company, maybe they get the simulator and they are there for 2-3 days, but they have some rough information about how you are going to get on with the car. But the devil is in the details”.

“In that sense I say everyone has to do their own thing. Then rightly put the car on the ground, the driver has to give indications such that the engineers can develop it properly, especially if the car has potential,” concluded Arrivabene.