Although we are just 2 races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton has given his fans exactly what they’ve been looking for. Ferrari has come out of this regulation change with a strong car, and the 7-time Champion is loving it. After securing his first podium of the year in China, Hamilton has asked all of his well-wishers to keep their eyes peeled for more.
Right from pre-season testing, it was clear that Mercedes and Ferrari would be the only ones competing for race wins in the first few races. Although Mercedes is still faster than the Ferrari, Hamilton is extremely happy with how the season has started and thinks the prancing horse can catch up to the silver arrows over the next few weeks.
Lewis Hamilton back to peak performance
Ever since Hamilton announced that he would be joining Ferrari, every F1 fan has been counting the days until his first podium in red. Now that it’s finally happened, there’s no looking back. During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Hamilton said:
“I definitely feel like I’m back to my best, both mentally and physically,” said Hamilton after the race in Shanghai.
“I still think there’s room to improve. I think I can still eke out more performance from this car. I’m still learning about it as I go, particularly with [energy] deployment.
“I do think there’s more to come.”
Lewis Hamilton scores his first-ever podium with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix!#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/0PKV13ey94
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) March 15, 2026
Although Ferrari is behind Mercedes in terms of pace for now, there is a good chance of the prancing horse unlocking more performance through upgrades. It’s not something unheard of. In the recent past, we saw McLaren in 2023, where they shot up from fighting for points to fighting for wins against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Looking at how excited Lewis Hamilton seems right now, it looks like some exciting updates to the car coming up could bring Ferrari closer to Mercedes, allowing Hamilton and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, to fight for the Championship.
Understanding energy deployment for Hamilton
This year’s regulation change is the biggest ever in Formula 1. The FIA has never made such a dramatic change in both aerodynamic design and the power unit in the history of the sport. Taking this into perspective, there’s still a lot for all the drivers to understand about these cars. One of the biggest talking points so far has been energy deployment.
With the 50-50 power split between the Internal Combustion Engine and the electrical component of the power unit, managing energy deployment has become more important to extract maximum performance from the car. This is also one of the reasons we see more overtakes during the races this year.
The advantage Lewis Hamilton has here is his experience. The British driver not only has 19 years of experience in the sport, but he also has been extremely successful with 7 Championships, 105 Grand Prix wins, 104 pole positions and 203 podiums. This impressive track record will no doubt prove to be useful for him and the team as they look to fight for the Championship this year.
