Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari must switch its focus to the all-new 2026 F1 regulations soon as it is an “open” championship.
Major changes are coming into force for next year, with cars set to feature active aerodynamics, have a narrower wheelbase, whilst there is also a power unit overhaul.
It is the first time in F1 history that such a vast change to the complete car is happening at the same time, with teams faced with the question of potentially developing their 2025 machines into a title-challenger, or turning off development and switching to 2026.
Some teams, like Williams and Aston Martin, are fully focused on 2026, whilst others, such as Hamilton’s Ferrari, are stuck in a quandary of trying to challenge this season, but running the risk of falling behind at the start of next.
After round nine of the season in Barcelona, Ferrari is second in the constructors’ standings on 165 points, but is 197 points shy of leaders McLaren, which looks set to retain its 2024 crown.
Speaking about the decision Ferrari must make, Hamilton believes “before too soon” it will be time for the Scuderia to switch fully to 2026.
“I don’t know what upgrades we have coming, but we haven’t had an upgrade for some time,” Hamilton told the media.
“We’ll keep pushing with what we have, but before too soon, I’ll just be saying, ‘Let’s focus on next year.’
“So we are building a foundation this year, learning about the tools, the structures, our processes, and just nailing those, so then when we arrive next year, we’ll be with the car that we really want.
“It is not up to me, and we are working on next year’s car, whether or not we’re 100 per cent on next year’s car, I can’t comment on, but next year is the championship, which is currently open.
“This one is a lot harder to win, but it is still not closed.”