07/06/2025 07:25
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari must switch its focus to the
all-new 2026 F1 regulations soon as it is an "open" championship.
Major changes are coming into force for next year, with cars set to
feature active aerodynamics, have a narrower wheelbase, whilst
there is also a power unit overhaul. It is the first time in F1
history that such a vast change to the complete car is happening at
the same time, with teams faced with the question of potentially
developing their 2025 machines into a title-challenger, or turning
off development and switching to 2026. Some teams, like Williams
and Aston Martin, are fully focused on 2026, whilst others, such as
Hamilton's Ferrari, are stuck in a quandary of trying to challenge
this season, but running the risk of falling behind at the start of
next. After round nine of the season in Barcelona, Ferrari is
second in the constructors' standings on 165 points, but is 197
points shy of leaders McLaren, which looks set to retain its 2024
crown. Speaking about the decision Ferrari must make, Hamilton
believes "before too soon" it will be time for the Scuderia to
switch fully to 2026. "I don't know what upgrades we have coming,
but we haven't had an upgrade for some time," Hamilton told the
media, including RacingNews365. "We'll keep pushing with what we
have, but before too soon, I'll just be saying, 'Let's focus on
next year.' "So we are building a foundation this year, learning
about the tools, the structures, our processes, and just nailing
those, so then when we arrive next year, we'll be with the car that
we really want. "It is not up to me, and we are working on next
year's car, whether or not we're 100 per cent on next year's car, I
can't comment on, but next year is the championship, which is
currently open. "This one is a lot harder to win, but it is still
not closed."
