LEWIS HAMILTON DONE WITH GROUND EFFECT

As Formula 1 closes the book on its controversial ground-effect era and gears up for a fresh technical rule set in 2026, Lewis Hamilton hasn’t held back his feelings about the cars that have dominated the sport since 2022.

The seven-time world champion was brutally honest when reflecting on his struggles with the current generation, making it clear he’s ready to move on.

Hamilton admitted that the ground-effect machines haven’t suited him or his driving style over the past few seasons. After joining Ferrari for 2025 and enduring one of the toughest spells of his career, he openly stated there’s “not a single thing I’ll miss about these cars,” calling this regulation period the hardest he’s faced since his F1 debut in 2007.

Fundamentally different from what came before, these cars generate most of their downforce from underbody aerodynamics rather than wings and bodywork. That shift created vehicles with narrow performance windows and balance quirks that frustrated drivers who thrive on attacking late into corners, something Hamilton has long excelled at.

But he’s not just kicking against the past. The Brit is cautiously optimistic about the future, admitting he’s “praying” the next era’s cars are genuinely better and not just different. With significant changes coming to aerodynamics, chassis characteristics and power units, the reset gives him and Ferrari a chance to hit the reset button on a difficult chapter.

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