Lewis Hamilton's future in fresh doubt as Ferrari 'mess' revealed ahead of Dutch GP
More potential Ferrari-related bad news has been directed at Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Ever since making his high-profile move from Mercedes to Ferrari, Hamilton has struggled to perform at his best.
To date, the 40-year-old has collected 109 points, 42 behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Despite the struggles, Hamilton remains the only Ferrari driver to have tasted victory this season after winning the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
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Over the last few weeks, Hamilton's future has been questioned due to his poor form.
Ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, former Formula 1 driver Ricardo Patrese has spoken about Hamilton's time at Ferrari.
The 71-year-old, who won six F1 Grands Prix and finished second in the 1992 season, has urged Ferrari to stay calm and listen to Hamilton when it comes to car development.
He said to RacingTipster: "When Lewis came to Ferrari, I was happy. I thought that for Ferrari it was a good move.
"Ferrari should stay calm. Lewis should work with the team to improve the car and try to make a winning car for next year."
However, Patrese did go on to claim that Ferrari are not too happy with the new regulations that will be kicking in when the 2026 season comes around.
Ferrari 'mess' revealed ahead of 2026 season
The Italian stated: "From what I understand, for example, Ferrari doesn't really like the new rules much.
"They would like to go to the 10 cylinder. So, it's a big mess still for what's going on for next year."
This will not be music to Hamilton's ears as time is running out for him to win a record-breaking eighth world title.
The 2026 season will see major changes made to the regulations. For example, the new cars will feature a far more powerful battery component that will allow it to generate three times the electrical power produced by the current hybrid components, rising from 120kW to 350kW.
Despite the power from the engine element dropping from between 550-560kW to 400kW, there will be more power available to drivers.
In addition, the power will be more sustainably produced by what has been described as 'the world’s most efficient hybrid engine'.
Aside from the engine, the overall size of the cars will also be reduced, making them lighter and more agile.
However, more importantly for Hamilton, F1 will move away from the ground effect cars, which the Brit has struggled with since they were introduced in 2022.
The seven-time world champion will be praying that Ferrari can produce a car capable of challenging right at the front of the grid.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Formula 1
Marcus Chan