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Lewis Hamilton in top form: How the Ferrari ace got back on the road to success

Lewis Hamilton has returned to his former top form after a difficult first season at Ferrari. This is mainly down to one factor, says his former team-mate Jenson Button.

Formula 1

This article is an automatically generated English version. The original article was published in German.

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This season is going much better for Lewis Hamilton than last year, when he was competing for points with the Ferrari team for the first time. Having failed to secure a single GP podium finish in 2025 and finished the season sixth overall, he is currently third in the standings after nine World Championship rounds this year.

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His deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli has shrunk to 32 points following his second place in the Silverstone Sprint and third place in the subsequent British Grand Prix. As a result, the seven-time world champion is once again being tipped as a serious contender for the title. And experts are discussing the reasons behind the strong form displayed by the record-holding Grand Prix winner.

Grand Prix veteran Jenson Button is certain he knows the main reason behind his former team-mate’s strong performances. It is not the fact that Hamilton has been able to familiarise himself with the Ferrari team and its working methods that is the reason for the turnaround in his performance. Rather, the 2009 world champion is certain that the new generation of cars suits the Briton’s driving style better.

Speaking on the ‘Sky Sports F1 Show’, Button explains: “I’m sure they took the time over the winter to sit down together and discuss what worked for him and what didn’t go so well. The first year is always difficult.” And at Mercedes, Hamilton had a race engineer by his side in Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, who was very close to him. “So it takes a certain amount of time to settle in.”

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At the same time, the 15-time Grand Prix winner makes it clear: “That certainly played a part, but I think the biggest factor is the car. It simply suits his driving style better. In my view, that’s much more important than getting used to a new working environment.” After all, Hamilton hasn’t exactly been at his best in his final years at Mercedes. “He hasn’t dominated his team-mate in qualifying duels as he used to; George Russell was often the faster of the two. That’s why I believe the car plays a bigger role. We now have race cars again that feel more natural; it’s a more conventional Formula 1 car, and he likes that.”

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Spa: FP1

FIA Formula One World Championship

17.07.2026 - 13:15

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Topics

  1. Results

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Results

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  3. 3. Qualifying

  4. 2. Qualifying

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Pos

Driver

Driver

Team

Start No.

Rounds

Time

Fastest Lap

Points

01

Charles Leclerc

Scuderia Ferrari HP

Charles Leclerc

Scuderia Ferrari HP

16

52

1:27:11,335

1:32,871

29

02

George Russell

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

George Russell

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

63

52

+0,427

1:32,489

23

03

Lewis Hamilton

Scuderia Ferrari HP

Lewis Hamilton

Scuderia Ferrari HP

44

52

+0,772

1:32,309

22

04

Lando Norris

McLaren Formula 1 Team

Lando Norris

McLaren Formula 1 Team

1

52

+1,149

1:32,625

18

05

Isack Hadjar

Oracle Red Bull Racing

Isack Hadjar

Oracle Red Bull Racing

6

52

+1,598

1:32,268

10

06

Liam Lawson

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team

Liam Lawson

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team

30

52

+2,023

1:33,648

9

07

Arvid Lindblad

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team

Arvid Lindblad

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team

41

52

+2,214

1:33,632

6

08

Gabriel Bortoleto

Audi Revolut F1 Team

Gabriel Bortoleto

Audi Revolut F1 Team

5

52

+2,413

1:33,650

4

09

Franco Colapinto

BWT Alpine Formula One Team

Franco Colapinto

BWT Alpine Formula One Team

43

52

+3,229

1:34,281

2

10

Pierre Gasly

BWT Alpine Formula One Team

Pierre Gasly

BWT Alpine Formula One Team

10

52

+3,445

1:34,179

1

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  1. Past

    Austrian Grand Prix

    Red Bull Ring, Österreich
    26.–28.06.2026
  2. Past

    British Grand Prix

    Silverstone Circuit, Great Britain
    03.–05.07.2026
  3. Next up

    Belgian Grand Prix

    Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgien
    17.–19.07.2026
  4. Next up

    Hungarian Grand Prix

    Hungaroring, Ungarn
    24.–26.07.2026
  5. Dutch Grand Prix

    Circuit Zandvoort, Niederlande
    21.–23.08.2026

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