F1 in Spain: An old-fashioned strategy fight can still be thrilling

The seven-time World Champion suffered a serious loss of form with the introduction of ground effect cars in 2022. Those cars generated downforce mostly from the shape of their underfloor and had very limited suspension setups, and it’s fair to say that Hamilton never gelled with them.

After winning eight races in 2021 to take his career tally to 103, he didn’t win at all in 2022 or 2023; he took victory at the British Grand Prix in 2024 and then inherited the win in Belgium later that year when George Russell was disqualified. In 2025 Hamilton left Mercedes, where he’d won six of his seven championships, for Ferrari, but his results in the ground effect Ferrari were even worse.

By the end of that season plenty of critics were asking if it was time for the driver to retire. The 2026 car is much more to Hamilton’s liking: smaller, lighter, and more nimble, and the ground effect-generating floors are gone.

Spain

lewis hamilton, ground effect, mercedes, ferrari, british gp, belgium, george russell, disqualified, 2025 season, 2026 car