By the admission of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, he and Lewis Hamilton underestimated the challenge of his adaptation. However, F1 2026 is when the “real test” arrives for Hamilton versus team-mate Charles Leclerc, so says Jacques Villeneuve, with the huge regulatory reset on its way.

Lewis Hamilton has been tipped to be replaced by former Ferrari star Carlos Sainz, in what would be an embarrassing u-turn for the Maranello-based outfit. Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton displaced the in-form Sainz at the end of the 2024 season,