Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc Disagree on New 2026 F1 Regulations
Teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have clashed over next year's Formula 1 regulation changes, as Ferrari aim to bounce back from a disappointing season.
Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix brought an end to one of the Scuderia's toughest years in F1, with the team finishing fourth in the Constructors' Standings - their lowest position since 2014.
Although Charles Leclerc had his difficulties, it proved an especially tough season for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his first year at Ferrari.
Leclerc secured seven podiums, while Hamilton failed to finish in the top three across the 24-race campaign.
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After such a disappointing season, Ferrari are now turning their attention to next year, when significant regulation changes are expected to shake up the grid.
Cars will be smaller and more agile, with changes that significantly affect aerodynamics and power-units.
DRS has been scrapped, while the proportion of power generated by the hybrid element of the engine has been doubled to roughly half.
Given the scale of the changes, Ferrari shifted their focus away from the 2025 car and towards next year's once it became clear they could not challenge for the Constructors' title.
Ahead of the United States Grand Prix in October, Leclerc was asked by Sky Sports Germany about his experience driving next year's car in the simulator.
He replied: “Yeah, it’s very, very different."
Former F1 driver and Sky reporter Glock then asked: "Positive, or negative difference?"
Leclerc responded: "Very positive."
However, Hamilton, who finished sixth in this year's Drivers' Standings for the first time, was far more cautious.
"I think it's really, really hard to predict what it's going to be like," he said.
"I don't want to say too many negative things. It feels so different, and I'm not sure you're going to like it.
"But maybe I'll be surprised, and maybe it'll be amazing. Maybe overtaking will be incredible. Maybe it'll be easier to overtake.
"We have less downforce and more torque.
"Driving in the rain I can imagine is going to be very, very, very tough, much harder than it is already is with what we have today."
Even if Hamilton is wary of the new rules, he will be relieved that the current season has finally drawn to a close.
After the finale, he admitted he could not "wait to get away from all this" and welcomed the chance to disconnect after a miserable run of results.
Hamilton still supported Ferrari's decision to halt development of this year's car early to focus on adapting to the incoming regulations.
Speculation over whether the Briton could retire has continued, but it would be a major shock just one year after making such a high-profile switch to Ferrari.
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
James Taylor