Lewis Hamilton does not think his improved form in 2026 is entirely due to the new regulations. A common theory is that the upward trend in recent performances of the seven-time world champion is because the current generation of cars suits Hamilton’s driving style better than the ground effect cars. “I don’t think these cars give anyone particularly more satisfaction,” said the Ferrari driver.
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Lewis Hamilton experienced the worst season of his Formula 1 career in 2025. During the last year of the previous regulation cycle, the seven-time world champion did not stand on the podium even once. That drought ended at the recent Chinese GP, and in Barcelona, Hamilton even took his first win in Ferrari red. A widely shared theory for the Brit’s revival is that the current generation of cars suits his driving style better than the ground effect cars.
‘No satisfaction’
Hamilton himself does not fully agree with that. “I don’t think (the current generation of cars) gives anyone particularly more satisfaction,” the Ferrari driver told the media. “I think we have all had to make adjustments. I don’t feel like I have had to make more adjustments than in any other era.”
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“So there is a lot of talk about how that generation of cars suited me, and I probably still won more races than most during that period,” Hamilton continued. Yet the world champion also sees advantages in the current generation of cars. “Today’s cars are just a bit easier, more forgiving, and lighter. We no longer have bouncing.”
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