Hamilton Sees Crucial Development Phase for Ferrari Ahead of 2027

Lewis Hamilton, who now races for Ferrari, has described the current phase of development as a 'pivotal moment' for the team. With an eye on the 2027 season, Hamilton is striving to guide the car's evolution in the right direction. At the start of 2026, Ferrari was praised for having an impressive chassis, though it struggled with power compared to its competitors.

Hamilton has been vocal about his efforts to push Ferrari's development at Maranello. His ultimate goal remains winning an eighth Drivers’ Championship, although his chances this year are slim with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli likely to clinch the title in Mexico City.

As the season progresses, teams begin to look ahead, and Hamilton has focused on providing Ferrari's engineers with precise feedback during this critical time. Despite the solid foundation provided by the SF-26, Hamilton aims to extract more performance from next year's car. "I feel like the team has been doing a really good job," he mentioned during the Austin race weekend.

Hamilton explained his active role in shaping the future car, noting, "I’m really working on areas that we need to improve for next year’s car." Discussions have centered around chassis improvements and aero package refinements, with the hope of enhancing engine performance and closing the gap to rivals.

Hamilton highlighted that the development process began about a month ago, with decisions now needing to be made about key areas for improvement. "These are the areas that, if you fix these for next year, it’s half a tenth in every corner," he said, pointing out where the team could gain an edge.

Currently third in the standings, Hamilton is eight points ahead of his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, as they head into the Mexico City Grand Prix. Ferrari's focus remains on maintaining the strengths of their current car while addressing areas of weakness, particularly in straight-line speed.