Lewis Hamilton Leads Major Ferrari Restructuring Focused on 2026 F1 Car
Lewis Hamilton has opened up about leading a major initiative within Ferrari, which involves restructuring the team in a way that could help develop a potent car for the 2026 Formula One season.
Hamilton switched to Ferrari in January this year, and after six months with his new team, he seems to understand the areas that need a significant push to win championships in the future.
Coming into Ferrari with seven world championship titles, he is one of the best drivers the red team could rely on if it wants to build a championship-winning car. Notably, the last driver to have secured a championship with Ferrari was Kimi Räikkönen, who won the title nearly two decades ago in 2007.
When Hamilton was quizzed ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix about what he did during his days off in the recent break after the race at Silverstone, the Briton said:
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 24, 2025 in Spa,...
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari looks on in the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 24, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. More"Yeah, I was at the factory for two weeks, a couple of days each week. We did preparation — naturally, going over where we were in the previous race, things that we need to change. I held a lot of meetings, so I've called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team.
"I've sat with John [Elkann], Benedetto [Vigna], and Fred [Vasseur] in several meetings. I've sat with the head of car development, with Loic [Serra] and also the heads of different departments — talking about the engine for next year, front suspension for next year, rear suspension for next year, things that you want, issues that I have with this car.
"I've sent documents, as I've done throughout the year. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then, during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in. So, then I come in and want to address those.
"Some of it's structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better in all the areas we want to improve. And the other one was really about the car — the current issues that I have with this car. Some things you do want to take on to next year's car, and some that you need to work on changing for next year.
"We did development for — tried the 2026 car for the first time and started work on that. Thirty engineers come into the room, and you sit and debrief with every single one of them. So, big, big push. And otherwise just training — maybe a little bit too hard, a bit heavy this weekend."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What can the B.C. Lions do to get things headed in the right direction?
Frustration isn't a dirty word with Mike Benevides these days. 'It's not a bad thing,' said the B.C. Lions veteran defensive coordinator, whose team gets its latest crack to find traction in this CFL season on Thursday, carrying a 3-5 record into a visit to the 6-2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 'If they (Lions players) are pissed off, they should be. We all are. It doesn't feel like a 3-5 team because of the morale, the talent, how they execute, how they practise. All those things are what you want to see. That frustration is not a bad thing. I'll take it. 'They care. You see it in how they come back wanting to do the work. You see it in how they communicate. You see the text messages at night, doing the extra work. It matters to them. If they didn't care or if they felt there was no chance, then it would be different. 'Frustration is OK. Like I told them, we've been around a long, long time and I can tell them all the stories — from 0-5 to 5-0 and all the rest, from a 5-9 team to winning the Grey Cup in 2001 (with the Calgary Stampeders). All those things are good if you place them in the right place. And I think the men are in the right place.' The Lions are coming off a bye week. Their last action was July 27, when they gave up a 10-point lead in the final three minutes in a 37-33 setback to the Tiger-Cats at B.C. Place. B.C. has two victories this season over the 1-6 Edmonton Elks. Their other win was a walk-off on a Sean Whyte field goal versus the Montreal Alouettes. That's all true. There have been stretches, though, like in the Hamilton game where they've also looked every bit a legit contender. And then there have been these lapses like in Hamilton game where they've simply failed to make plays. Penalties, missed tackles, failed connections on offence have been among the culprits along the way. The stats show some of that. The Lions lead the CFL in net offence (408.3 yards per game). They're seventh in scoring (24.5 points per game). They're second in net defence (344 yards per game). They're sixth in points against (27 per game). Lions running back James Butler leads the CFL in rushing yards (619), averaging a career-best 5.5 yards per carry. There have been six 100-yard rushing games in the CFL this season and Butler had three them, including going for 115 yards on 16 carries in that last Hamilton game. B.C. is eighth in the league in turnover ratio (minus-eight). They did take a step forward in that regard in the most recent outing against Hamilton at least, winning that category on the night 3-1. 'We have all the pieces to be an undefeated team,' said Lions left tackle Jarell Broxton. 'I feel like we beat ourselves. That's what practice is for — so we can clean up the mistakes. 'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.' 'It's about everybody focusing, everybody doing their job. It takes everybody on the field.' Lions head coach Buck Pierce added: 'Things are going to happen throughout a game and we can't let four or five plays determine outcomes of games. We have to be able to move on and use that adversity as a tool for us. In certain instances, we've done that, but that's something you always have to work on and go through.' The last time the Lions started a season 3-5 was in 2018. They wound up 9-9 that year, which was good enough for fourth spot in the West Division, but put them before the third-place team in the East and gave B.C. the playoff crossover. B.C. lost that East semifinal to Hamilton by a 48-8 count. The crossover is at play this season for the Lions, considering they've already lost twice to both the 7-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders and the 4-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, giving those teams the tiebreaker with the Lions. B.C. has two more games with the 5-3 Calgary Stampeders. The Toronto Argonauts are currently third in the East, at 2-6. 'I think the guys really enjoy coming out here to work,' Pierce said. 'I think it's a tight group. I think it's a group that understands we have got to be better and it's not just one area — it's everything. That's what you really enjoy about the group — 'there's things to be fixed, lets get them fixed and lets get to work.'' Teams coming out of a bye week this season in the CFL are 5-5. Hamilton's on a six-game win streak. A win Thursday would make it the Tiger-Cats' best start since the 2019, when they began 7-2 and reached the Grey Cup. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is 13-7 all-time against B.C. going into the game. Hamilton has outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter in all of its eight games this season, with their combined total coming in at 103-59. Eight of the past 13 matchups between Hamilton and B.C. since 2017 have been decided in the final three minutes. SEwen@ Nathan Rourke: B.C. Lions offence needs to find a way to 'start fast' against Hamilton Sunday Tiger-Cats 37, B.C. Lions 33: Hamilton completes comeback with last-minute touchdown
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
NFL insider confirms Ravens taking steps to sign three core contributors to extensions
The Ravens may be wisely moving closer to signing three core contributors to long-term contract extensions Every NFL franchise must find its mix of veteran leaders and a young core charged with leading its football team into the future. The Baltimore Ravens do that just about as well as anyone. For every Roquan Smith, there's a young and exciting Teddye Buchanan. One can only hope the youngster is soaking in everything the wily old vet has to tell him. If only life were like Madden NFL's franchise mode. Baltimore could just turn the salary cap off and sign whoever they very well please, but alas, it isn't. The task of juggling the numbers is the responsibility of Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. If nothing changes between now and season's end, DeCosta and his team will have decisions to make about their impending free agents. Veterans like Mark Andrews, Kyle Van Noy, Jaire Alexander, and Odafe Oweh come to mind, but some of the young guys' numbers are coming up. According to an ESPN report, DeCosta and company are on top of things. Early extension plans show the Ravens' commitment to young core players ESPN's Dan Graziano recently provided an update on the expected contract negotiations of three Ravens. He visited Owing Mills on August 2nd and mentioned a few theories about the status of Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, and the recently injured Isaiah Likely. "The Ravens are working on a few contract extensions they hope to get done by the end of this season, including Hamilton, tight end Isaiah Likely, and center Tyler Linderbaum. It doesn't sound like anything is imminent with any of those, but don't be surprised if you hear news on one or more of them over the next few months." Baltimore picked up Hamilton's fifth-year option. They declined Linderbaum's. The latter and Likely will both be free agents at season's end. We'll see what happens in light of Likely's injury, but it would seem he has done enough to prove he's worthy of a deal moving forward. Hamilton and Linderbaum share four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nominations between them, though the pair of All-Pros are attached to Hamilton's name. To ensure the long-term success of this organization for years to come, they must be retained and preferably sooner rather than later, but everyone knows that, most notably, Eric DeCosta.
Motor Trend
5 hours ago
- Motor Trend
The 1,250-HP Corvette ZR1X Costs $3.5M Less Than a Ferrari F80
It may be America's supercar, but the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is going to be 'modestly' priced for its performance. Given its incredible output of 1,250 hp, claimed 2.3-second 0–60-mph time, the soul-stirring sounds its 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes, and the fact it has AWD due to a front electric motor, this Corvette could have asked for top-shelf Ferrari money. Turns out, Chevrolet is starting the ZR1X at just over $200,000 for the coupe and just under $220,000 for the convertible. But that's not the only ZR1X news, as Chevy also announced a special edition.. The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, with 1,250 hp and a starting price of $207,395, offers supercar performance at a fraction of the cost of rivals like the Ferrari F80. Chevy also announced a $241,395 Quail Silver Limited Edition with exclusive features, available in early 2026. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article. Read Next As we said, with 1,250 hp on tap—and 145 lb-ft of torque ready to drive the front wheels as part of that combo—the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X could easily trip the million-dollar price tag, American made or not. Just look at its competitors in power and speed. The 2026 Ferrari F80 pushes out 1,184 hp and 749 lb-ft of torque with a 2.1-second run to 60 mph, and asks $3.7 million for the privilege. Then there's the 2026 McLaren W1, the successor to the P1. Coming in at 1,258 hp and 988 lb-ft of torque, it will hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds—and costs around $2.1 million. Meanwhile, the 2026 Corvette ZR1X beats the Ferrari in power, the McLaren in the sprint to 60 mph, and is engineered to hit 233 mph with a starting cost of $207,395 for the 1LZ coupe. Want to drop the top in the most powerful 'Vette? Add just $10,000 more, at $217,395. If you want more features baked into your ZR1X, the 3LZ coupe will cost $218,395 and the 'vert $228,395. Chevrolet hasn't finalized pricing for the ZTK Performance package yet, but we may have a small clue as to how much it might cost. That's thanks to a new limited-edition model called the ZR1X Quail Silver Limited Edition that will be launched during the 2026 Quail, A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week. It comes standard with the ZTK pack that includes higher spring rates to better take advantage of the downforce provided by the ZR1X Carbon Fiber Aero package. The ZTK goodies also include Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tires and additional tuning for the chassis controls. Additionally, the Quail Silver Limited Edition comes in a special exterior color and a first for Corvette. Inspired by the Inca Silver offered on the 1957 to 1959 C1 Corvette, the car's Blade Silver Matte paint is a modern approximation to the historic color. Other exterior features include orange painted calipers, black exhaust tips, and carbon flash painted mirror caps. Inside, the standard interior color scheme utilizes Sky Cool and Medium Ash Grey materials with Habenero accents. This interior color combo is available on all 2026 Corvettes from the Stingray to the 'standard' ZR1X. The Silver also gets a plaque noting noting its build number within the run, mounted on the 'waterfall' center interior speaker between the seats. Finally, it's only available as a convertible and is based on the ZR1X 3LZ trim. The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Quail Silver Limited Edition will cost $241,395, but that price doesn't include destination (which is likely $1,995). We also don't know yet how limited the Quail edition will be. Production of regular ZR1X models is scheduled to begin by the end of th year, while production of the Quail Silver Limited Edition will start in early 2026.
