Lewis Hamilton reveals plans to shake up his team for F1 2026

Lewis Hamilton has revealed plans to shake up the team around him ahead of his second season with Ferrari in F1 2026.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has endured a miserable maiden season with Ferrari after making a blockbuster switch from Mercedes over the winter, and is facing the prospect of finishing a campaign without a grand prix podium for the first time in his F1 career.

Hamilton, who finished 12th last time out in Qatar and has been knocked out in the first part of qualifying at the last two rounds, has made a number of negative comments about his own performances and Ferrari’s competitiveness during a hugely challenging first season in red.

Ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 40-year-old Briton vowed to make changes to his team before 2026, though he did not divulge details about who it would specifically involve.

“It’s not actually a straightforward process,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “We are obviously testing next week and then we go back to the factory and I’ve got to decide what my approach is when it comes to sitting down with key stakeholders to make the decisions, and how that approach is to create the change that’s needed.

“In terms of personal perfection, every weekend I have written down what I felt went wrong that weekend, the decisions I've taken. So there’s a lot of things to do there.

“Through my break I will analyse those decisions and make markers on how I can make better decisions in the future. My surroundings in terms of my personal personnel, team personnel, how do you utilise people, whether people need to move into different positions to work better.

“All these different things need to be looked upon in my personal space so that we can optimise our teamwork.”

Asked whether those changes need to be made and that ‘things can’t carry on like this year’, Hamilton responded: “Definitely not.”

‘Resilient’ Hamilton not giving up

Hamilton has not enjoyed the current generation of ground-effect cars and has found adapting to Ferrari's SF-25 particularly challenging. 

Asked to compare to 2025 with his struggles over the past four years, Hamilton replied: “I can’t compare them. They are all different in their own ways and I was in a different place. Each year, you are in a different place in your life, so I wouldn’t compare them.

“It’s been difficult. Confidence goes up and down, it comes with the territory. It’s challenging but I still have full belief in my abilities and that’s most important. Holding onto that is not always the easiest thing to do but that’s got me to where I am.”

Asked what the biggest lesson he has learned this year is, Hamilton said: “That I’m resilient. I said it at the last race, I’ve surprised myself how resilient I am. If I can get through a season like this, then there’s nothing that I can’t face moving forwards.”