Martin Brundle backs Lewis Hamilton for big Ferrari comeback: 'A happy Lewis is a fast Lewis'

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle is confident that Lewis Hamilton will have a better year in 2026 than he did in 2025.

The seven-time champion used the 2025 season, his first with Ferrari, to adjust to the Maranello outfit. As he struggled to get to grips with the new team, he finished the year without a grand prix podium finish, with the highlight being a sprint race victory in China. 

Now, Hamilton is eager to put 2025 behind him and head into 2026 after both a personal reset and a reset of the grid with the new wave of regulations in F1.

"I hope so," Brundle told Sky Sports F1 when asked if things were likely to improve for the Briton. "For Lewis, for Ferrari. As Formula 1 fans, we always want Ferrari to do well, don't we? And I'd love to see that come right for Lewis.

"He seems a bit happier. He will be great at using the tools that are available to him under the new regulations. He's got to beat Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari because he's right on it as well. But a happy Lewis has always been, and not just at Ferrari, a fast Lewis.

"So I think if he comes into the season, and I have to say Ferrari have been quite innovative over the winter, and they look in a better place than we've seen them for a few years now. So I'm confident that Lewis will have a better year."

Brundle's co-presenter Craig Slater pointed to the work that Hamilton has put in at Ferrari over the last 12 months, preparing for the new regulations.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

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"He said that 'I've put my DNA in this car'. Whereas last year, he spent a lot of time saying, 'I'm new to the team. I'm having to adjust,'" Slater said. "He's worked very hard in these last 12 months. Will he get the reward for his hard work, is the question, having developed the relationships within the team and so on.

"But can you imagine the excitement globally if at the age of 41, he's a contender this year for title number eight?"

Brundle added: "Lewis transcends Formula 1 like no other driver, in my view, has before or does now. And you're right, Craig, but he's going to have a lot of young guys, not much more than half his age to beat as well. So, it won't be easy for him, but I think I'm confident he's in for a better season."