Emerson Fittipaldi explains: This is why Lewis Hamilton is back in top form

Expectations were high for Lewis Hamilton when he moved to the world’s oldest Formula One team after twelve years with Mercedes. However, the former serial winner’s first season in red did not go at all as hoped. In 2025, the seven-time world champion not only failed to secure a single victory, but also failed to make it onto the Grand Prix podium even once. He ultimately finished sixth in the world championship standings.

Ahead of him was his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who, although he too failed to secure a Grand Prix victory, did at least finish seven Grands Prix on the podium. The Monegasque driver also scored significantly more points – 242 – than his new team-mate, who had to make do with 156 points.

Ferrari team duel: Lewis Hamilton has the edge

But this year everything is different: following the major regulatory overhaul that brought a new generation of cars onto the track, Hamilton is the faster of the two Ferrari stars. After eleven Grands Prix, he went into the summer break in second place in the World Championship, whilst Leclerc occupies fourth place in the overall standings. Both have already secured a race win – Hamilton in Barcelona and Leclerc at Silverstone.

According to Emerson Fittipaldi, the fact that Hamilton has managed to turn the tables comes down to one simple factor. The GP veteran said in an expert discussion on ‘Formula1.com’: ‘I was very happy when I saw just how fast Lewis and Ferrari are. I can still remember last year very well. The same thing happened to me in the IndyCar Series and in Formula 1.”

Emerson Fittipaldi knows: age brought Hamilton a lot of criticism

“As you get older, people say you can’t drive any more, and last year Lewis came in for criticism from all sides. They said he couldn’t beat Leclerc because he was too old. But now he’s fast again, and I think that’s good for the sport and the fans. It’s fantastic to see Ferrari and Lewis winning again,” emphasised the 79-year-old Brazilian.

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“One thing hardly anyone talks about much is the new car. It’s smaller, and you have to make do with less downforce, and in my view that makes the job behind the wheel more difficult – it’s become harder to be fast. That’s why I think it brings out the talent more. And I think that’s one of the reasons Lewis has been able to improve. He has a good feel for the car and he’s in control of it because he’s an extremely talented driver. “What’s more, this is his second year with Ferrari; he knows the engineers and he’s now familiar with the system too,” says the two-time world champion, listing the reasons for Hamilton’s strong performances this year.