Lewis Hamilton was one of the few drivers who had something positive to report about the new F1 regulations after the Australian GP. Following the complaints from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, the 41-year-old Briton stated that he had ‘thoroughly enjoyed’ his first race in the new era. Former teammate Jenson Button thinks he understands why Hamilton is in such good spirits; the new cars are said to suit the seven-time world champion’s driving style well.
Read more Verstappen sets clear goal for Chinese GP: ‘Be in the fight’
After the test days, Lewis Hamilton was already predominantly optimistic. Despite the complexity of the new powertrain and energy management, he was very positive about the handling of his SF-26. During the Australian GP, the first race under the new regulations, he thrived in his Ferrari. After a somewhat disappointing qualifying session, he crossed the finish line in fourth place. With that, he immediately equaled his best result of 2025.
An era for Lewis Hamilton
Jenson Button, who raced alongside Hamilton for three seasons at McLaren, remembers his preference for a ‘strong front end’. In that sense, the new cars seem to suit the British Ferrari driver’s driving style much better. “The new regulations suit some drivers better than others,” Button said in a Sky Sports broadcast. “Given how the car works, this is an era for Lewis Hamilton. After all, the cars are much more agile; you can have oversteer now and get away with it, as long as you control the throttle correctly.”
Read more Even Formula E warns: ‘Formula 1 is making a mistake by copying us’
“That was different in recent years,” Button noted. “Back then, the cars had to be set up to oversteer. If you then got into a slide, you were immediately facing the wrong way and in the wall.” According to Button, the current F1 cars have less understeer, with more grip on the front tires instead. “Hamilton likes to drive a car with a strong front end and he knows how to get the maximum out of it. I remember that from when we were teammates. This definitely suits him much better. You can see it on his face: he is much more confident and enthusiastic.”
Read more New regulations bear fruit: ‘Chinese BYD shows interest in own F1 team’
Read everything about the Chinese GP here
