Lewis Hamilton has received the backing of Emerson Fittipaldi in the fight for the 2026 Formula One title. The former driver and two-time F1 champion believes the Ferrari driver has rediscovered his best form and expects to see him contending for the championship until the end of the season.
After a first year of adapting to the Italian team in 2025, Hamilton currently sits in second place in the drivers’ standings. For Fittipaldi, the Brit’s performance this season has answered the criticisms that surfaced when many questioned his ability to compete at a high level against his teammate Charles Leclerc.
In an interview with F1.com, Fittipaldi highlighted the evolution of the seven-time champion: “I was very happy to see Lewis and Ferrari moving fast. I remember last year. This happened to me in IndyCar and in F1, when you get older people start saying: ‘He can’t drive anymore.’ Everyone criticized Lewis last year,” he said.
The Brazilian recalled that many claimed Hamilton wouldn’t be able to surpass Leclerc because of his age, but he believes the situation has completely changed: “Now he is very strong. This is good for the sport, it’s good for the fans. Seeing Ferrari back to winning and Lewis winning again is fantastic,” he said.
According to Fittipaldi, another important factor is the new technical regulation, which introduced smaller cars with less aerodynamic load. For him, this combination demands more skill from the drivers and favors Hamilton’s talent in controlling the car, in addition to the experience gained in his second year working with Ferrari’s engineers.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Fittipaldi hopes Hamilton remains in title contention until the final rounds: “I really hope Lewis challenges for the championship. It would be extremely good to see Lewis and Ferrari even stronger, battling Mercedes,” he added.
The Brazilian also praised Ferrari’s boss, Frédéric Vasseur, recalling the time they worked together in the A1 Grand Prix: “I have a lot of respect for Fred Vasseur. He has done a great job and I think he now knows the Italians very well. That could make a difference in the second half of the season,” he concluded.
