When Lewis Hamilton walked away from Mercedes after more than a decade of dominance, the motorsport world held its breath. The move to Ferrari was audacious, emotional, and instantly historic. But 2025 proved to be a humbling introduction to life in red, with Ferrari finishing fourth in the constructors standings and Hamilton spending much of the season wrestling with an unfamiliar car. Now, as attention shifts to the sweeping regulatory reset of 2026, veteran analyst and former F1 driver Martin Brundle has offered a clear-eyed verdict: Hamilton still has what it takes to win, and Ferrari may be closer to giving him the tools to do it.
A Difficult Debut Season in Red
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari for 2025 was one of the most anticipated driver moves in Formula 1 history. After claiming six of his seven world championships with Mercedes, the British icon chose to chase a dream that had captivated fans for years: winning the title with the Scuderia. The reality of that debut season, however, was far more complicated than the romance of the storyline suggested.
Ferrari endured a difficult campaign, ultimately slipping to fourth in the constructors championship. For Hamilton, the challenge was compounded by the timing of his switch. He joined the team during the final year of a technical regulation cycle, meaning the car he was learning had already been developed close to its performance ceiling. Adapting a driving style refined over years at Mercedes to Ferrari’s different mechanical philosophy required time that a compressed development window simply did not afford.
The adjustment period was visible on track. Hamilton showed flashes of his class, but consistency proved elusive. The car was not always behaving in the way he needed it to, and the team was simultaneously managing its own structural challenges. It was, by any measure, a season of transition rather than triumph.
Brundle’s Assessment: Class Is Permanent
Martin Brundle has spent decades watching Formula 1 from the closest possible vantage points, first as a driver competing against the sport’s greats, and now as one of its most respected voices on Sky Sports F1. His assessment of Hamilton’s situation carries genuine weight, shaped by experience rather than sentiment.
Brundle’s position is straightforward. He believes Hamilton retains every bit of the ability that earned him a record-equalling seven world championships. The difficult 2025 season, in Brundle’s view, does not reflect a driver in decline. It reflects a driver dealing with an imperfect situation at an imperfect moment. Brundle pointed to Hamilton’s extraordinary championship record as evidence of a talent that does not simply evaporate, noting that the experience and racecraft accumulated over a career of that magnitude remain deeply embedded.
For Brundle, the conversation is less about whether Hamilton can still win and more about whether the machinery around him will allow it. That distinction matters enormously in Formula 1, where even the greatest drivers are ultimately dependent on the competitiveness of their car.
Why 2026 Could Change Everything
The arrival of the 2026 technical regulations represents the most significant reset in Formula 1 in several years. New power unit rules, revised aerodynamic philosophies, and a fundamentally different approach to car design will effectively return every team to a blank sheet of paper. For Hamilton and Ferrari, this is potentially the opportunity that the 2025 season was never going to provide.
Brundle noted that Ferrari has shown encouraging signs heading into the new regulation era, suggesting the team may be better positioned to hit the ground running than they were at certain points during 2025. If that assessment proves accurate, Hamilton will be entering his second season with the team in a car that suits him, on a level playing field where accumulated knowledge of Ferrari’s systems and culture becomes an asset rather than a limitation.
Historical precedent supports a degree of optimism. When major regulations have shifted in the past, teams that appeared off the pace have re-emerged as frontrunners, while those who dominated can suddenly find themselves struggling. The 2026 reset hands Hamilton and Ferrari a genuine chance to rewrite the narrative of this partnership. Hamilton also arrives at that moment as one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, a factor that often proves decisive when teams are still finding their feet with new machinery.
The symmetry is compelling. Hamilton spent his first season in red learning, adapting, and absorbing. If the 2026 car delivers on its potential, that foundation could translate directly into the kind of performances Ferrari and Hamilton both came to the partnership expecting.
The Bigger Picture for Formula 1
Beyond the specifics of Hamilton’s trajectory, there is a broader story worth acknowledging. The idea that one of the sport’s greatest champions is still chasing glory at Ferrari, still motivated, still capable according to those who know racing best, is a compelling thread running through the modern era of Formula 1.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was always going to be judged over multiple seasons, not one. The context of a final-year regulation campaign makes the 2025 results less definitive than they might otherwise appear. What matters is whether Ferrari and Hamilton can align in 2026 in the way that Mercedes and Hamilton aligned during those years of sustained dominance. Brundle’s confidence suggests that outcome remains entirely plausible.
For the sport, the prospect of Hamilton competing at the front in a Ferrari is exactly the kind of narrative that transcends pure racing statistics. It connects history to the present, and gives fans something genuinely meaningful to follow as a new technical chapter begins.
Martin Brundle’s backing of Lewis Hamilton is not blind faith. It is the measured opinion of someone who has seen enough of Formula 1 to separate temporary adversity from permanent decline. Hamilton struggled in 2025, but the circumstances were stacked against a seamless transition. With 2026 offering a clean slate, a Ferrari team showing signs of renewed competitiveness, and a driver whose hunger for success has never appeared diminished, the conditions for a genuine title challenge are beginning to take shape. Whether Hamilton and Ferrari can seize that moment remains the defining question of the next chapter, but Brundle, at least, has no doubt that Hamilton is still the man capable of answering it.