Lewis Hamilton makes rare admission ahead of Formula 1 testing

Lewis Hamilton says he is ‘excited for new beginnings’ next season after implementing a host of unspecified changes.

His comments come as rumours suggest that Ferrari is set to name Cedric Michel-Grosjean as Hamilton’s new race engineer.

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It follows Riccardo Adami’s recent switch to a new role within the organisation.

A clean slate

Hamilton is already chomping at the bit ahead of the new Formula One season after a tumultuous first campaign with Ferrari.

The 41-year-old failed to secure a podium finish throughout the 2025 season for the first time in his career.

His struggles saw teammate Charles Leclerc finish 86 points ahead of him in the driver’s standings.

Keen to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment, Hamilton admits going through a process of ‘removing things that don’t serve me or bring the right energy.’

Ferrari had announced earlier this month that Hamilton will work alongside a new race engineer for the 2026 season with Adami taking up a new role with the team’s junior academy and TPC operation.

What is Hamilton’s mindset with the new F1 season drawing closer?

After enduring his most challenging campaign to date which included four consecutive Q1 eliminations, Hamilton says he feels refreshed ahead of the upcoming season after making some much-needed changes.

“If you probably look at all my other interviews all the other years, I’d never say that I get excited,” the seven-time world champion said at Ferrari’s shakedown at Fiorano where he tested out the new SF-26 car.

“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.

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“Even though it was the shortest one we’ve ever had, it was just what was needed.

“I think just undoing [certain things], 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.

“So I’m excited about the first test. Obviously, today [shakedown] I don’t get to push it, but it feels cool at Fiorano.

“But obviously next week we will start to try and stretch the legs and see what this new generation of car is going to bring to all of us.

“And then it’s unknown what other people have, what cars, what tricks that other people may or may not have and what concepts, all those sorts of things.

“I think, for us, just keeping our heads down and focusing on our job.

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“But the team feels refreshed and with so much work from so many different departments here, it’s awesome to see.

“So we’re going to take this energy and just take it one day at a time.”

Hamilton appears to have used his downtime to good effect having reflected on his first season with Ferrari.

In an Instagram post, he admitted 2025 had been ‘a very draining year’ and that it was time for change.

He wrote: “Starting new routines, leaving behind unwanted patterns and working on growth.

“Let go of things that don’t serve you. This can take time. There will be things you can’t get rid of immediately, but it starts with the first step.”