Lewis Hamilton's hopes of winning the 2026 Formula 1 world title have reportedly ended after a letter from the sport's governing body, the FIA.
Hamilton, 41, endured a tough debut season with Ferrari after a high-profile transfer from Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion won the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, but things began to unravel after that weekend.
In the end, Hamilton finished sixth in the standings, 86 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
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On Friday morning, Ferrari launched their challenger for the new campaign, the SF-26, with Hamilton and Leclerc testing it around the track in Fiorano.
However, it has already been claimed that Ferrari's chances of winning the title could already be over.
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Heading into 2026, the paddock rumours have placed Mercedes as the team to beat, with the Brackley-based side said to have discovered a potential loophole in the new regulations.
It has been previously reported that Mercedes may have allegedly managed to 'exploit the fuel compression limit', which could give them a huge advantage of 0.4 seconds per lap.
Previously, the fuel compression ratio had been set at 18:1, and it has been reduced to 16:1 ahead of 2026.
It has been claimed that Mercedes may have found a way to effectively run the fuel compression at 18:1 on track, but still comply with the rules when the cars are stationary and checked by the sport's governing body, the FIA.
Despite reports that Mercedes' trick could be banned, it has since been claimed that the FIA have sent a letter to the team.
As per Motorsport IT, Mercedes already have ‘written correspondence’ from the FIA that ‘approves’ their solution.
With Mercedes set to be ahead of the rest, it will be difficult for the likes of Hamilton and Leclerc to challenge for race wins along with McLaren and Red Bull.
What has Lewis Hamilton said about 2026?
Speaking ahead of the new season, Hamilton stated that he is feeling excited for the rule changes.
As per Sky Sports, the Brit said: "If you probably look at all my other interviews all the other years, I would never say that I get excited. But I'm massively excited and I think that's ok to say that.
"I'm excited for new beginnings. It's been such a focus on resetting, having a good break. The break, even though it was the shortest one we've ever had, I would say, it was just what was needed.
"Learning new patterns and undoing patterns and removing things that don't serve me or bring the right energy and making sure you're just showing up in the right way."
Topics: Ferrari, Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, FIA
Marcus Chan