F1 paddock figures have changed their minds about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future after a positive winter, according to a report.

Hamilton endured arguably the toughest stretch of his career at the end of the 2025 season. He ended the year with three straight Q1 exits and six consecutive qualifying eliminations.

The seven-time world champion scored 14 points in the last five weekends of the year, even though two of them featured a Sprint. As noted by The Telegraph, his demeanour had become ‘miserable’.

F1 insiders had serious doubts about Lewis Hamilton’s future before testing

Hamilton appeared so demotivated that people in the paddock were unsure whether he would even complete the 2026 season. Some doubted that he would make it to the European leg of the season (which starts in early June with the Monaco Grand Prix).

Others questioned whether he would return after the summer break. Hamilton’s contract runs until the end of the season, and there is believed to be an option for 2027.

There was a genuine belief in some quarters that the 41-year-old could ‘put himself out of his misery’ if Ferrari didn’t deliver a contending car. Even the far more comfortable Charles Leclerc couldn’t win races in the SF-25.

However, the narrative has changed after a positive winter for the Scuderia. After Leclerc set by far the fastest time of testing to go along with some impressive race simulations, the team are seen as genuine contenders.

Martin Brundle’s Australian GP prediction shows how far Lewis Hamilton has fallen

Anthony Davidson said Hamilton finally looked ‘at home’ in the Ferrari during testing, though the first competitive weekend of the season in Australia will naturally be the true test.

Davidson’s Sky Sports colleague David Croft wants to see Hamilton win another title before he retires, and it should quickly become clear whether he is at the level required.

However, Martin Brundle has predicted that Leclerc will win in Australia, with Hamilton missing out on the podium entirely. It’s unlikely that Brundle intended this as a deliberate snub, but it shows how far the Briton has fallen.

As recently as a few years ago, such a prediction was unheard of. If given the tools, Hamilton would automatically be in contention, and his teammate would find it extremely difficult to keep up with him.

The narrative surrounding Lewis Hamilton has undergone a dramatic shift from “retirement watch” to a genuine title threat as the 2026 season officially kicks off in Melbourne. After a winter break described by the seven-time champion as a period of “uncomfortable questions” and a “digital detox,” Hamilton appears to have rediscovered the competitive spark that vanished during his podium-less 2025 campaign. Paddock insiders report that the 41-year-old’s 14 months of simulator work on the SF-26—a car he claims now has his “DNA” in its design—has yielded a machine that finally rewards his aggressive braking style, a stark contrast to the uncooperative SF-25 that left him “glum” and outclassed by Leclerc for much of last year.

While Martin Brundle remains cautious about picking a clear favorite between the Ferrari duo, he noted that a “happy Lewis is a fast Lewis,” citing Hamilton’s sharp performance and vocal enthusiasm during the Bahrain tests. However, the internal pressure at Maranello remains at an all-time high; with Mercedes showing unexpected long-run pace in Friday practice at Albert Park, the “big leaps” Hamilton mentioned are already being put to the test. If Ferrari’s innovative “Macarena” wing and superior race-start mapping can translate into early victories, the rumors of a mid-season exit will likely be replaced by a battle for the history books—but should the SF-26 falter, the “big problem” Hamilton warned of could see the most decorated driver in history finally decide that his mission in red is complete.