Hamilton Rejects Ground Effect Struggles Amid F1 Revival

Lewis Hamilton has hit back at the narrative that he failed to master Formula 1's ground-effect machinery, insisting his results in that era were still better than most of the grid. The Ferrari driver's resurgence this season has reignited the debate over whether the previous regulations truly hampered him.

Hamilton dominated F1 from 2014 to the end of the decade, collecting six titles in seven years before the controversial 2021 finale against Max Verstappen. When the ground-effect rules arrived in 2022, his performances dipped noticeably, partly due to Mercedes' troublesome zero-sidepod concept that failed to deliver downforce.

Even as Mercedes improved, Hamilton struggled for consistency, and his move to Ferrari last year saw him comfortably beaten by Charles Leclerc. But this season, with lighter and more nimble cars, Hamilton is leading the Ferrari charge once again. "I can drive it a little bit more like the previous generation of cars," he said.

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Hamilton dismissed the idea that his driving style was incompatible with the old regulations. "The races that I won in the previous generation of car, I drove exactly the same as I do today," he explained. "So, there's all this talk of how that generation of car didn't suit me, [but I] still won more races than most, probably, in that period."

The seven-time champion also highlighted the technical differences, noting that today's cars are more forgiving and lighter. "The cars today are just a little bit easier, more forgiving, and they're lighter. They haven't got bouncing," he said. "The throttle, the power application takes a lot of work, and tuning through that with, it's just another element you have to do with the engineers."

Hamilton's renewed form has been a bright spot for Ferrari in 2026, with the Briton now matching teammate Charles Leclerc more consistently. Lewis Hamilton's ability to adapt to the new generation of cars has silenced some critics, even as he continues to defy expectations.