Lewis Hamilton heads into the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in much better spirits than he did a year ago, even after his Sprint win in Shanghai.
His victory in the 2025 Sprint was his only podium appearance so far with Ferrari, but that weekend ended up being a harsh lesson for the team. A double disqualification in the main race put their problems into sharp focus.
The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix marked Ferrari’s first-ever double DQ. Post-race checks revealed Charles Leclerc’s car was underweight, while excessive skid block wear led to Hamilton’s exclusion. Both drivers lost their P5 and P6 finishes as a result.
Hamilton’s weekend had actually started well. He won the Sprint from pole position, but ride height issues exposed during that race would go on to affect Ferrari’s entire season.
Ferrari still haunted by ride height issue that cost in 2025
Ferrari arrived back at Shanghai International Circuit still dealing with a ride height issue that caused big headaches last year. The 2025 event saw both cars thrown out after the race, Leclerc for being underweight and Hamilton for excess skid block wear – following what had been promising runs to P5 and P6 before then.
The root of those problems came down to suspension setup and how it interacted with kerb riding at this particular track layout. Teams pushed limits on ride height looking for lap time gains but ran afoul of technical regulations governing plank thickness and overall minimum weight limits by Sunday afternoon’s scrutineering checks.
Lewis Hamilton feels more positive heading into the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix
Hamilton is back in Shanghai this week, and he’s feeling more upbeat than he was even after winning the Sprint there last season. Leo Turrini has pointed out that last year’s win didn’t really convince Hamilton that a title push was on the cards.
The seven-time champion’s body language at the Shanghai International Circuit on Thursday was ‘strikingly different’ compared to one year ago. Hamilton’s improved outlook follows his P4 in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, just 0.625s off the podium, last week to start the term.
This year, though, Hamilton looks much more confident about what’s ahead. He started from P7 in Australia but got off to a strong start and finished with pace that seemed quicker than teammate Leclerc’s P3.
Lewis Hamilton has a chance to claim his first Grand Prix podium for Ferrari in China
Hamilton appeared more at ease than ever in his Ferrari throughout the Melbourne weekend. He later said that with a few more laps, he might have caught Leclerc, given how strong his pace felt late in the race.
The seven-time world champion also found plenty of positives from his fourth-place finish at Albert Park. Those takeaways have him heading into Shanghai with confidence, and he’ll be aiming to turn that into a long-awaited podium for the Scuderia.
Last season marked the first time Hamilton went through an entire campaign without a single Grand Prix podium. His best results were fourth-place finishes in Imola, Austria, Britain, and the USA. He’s already matched that this year after just one round and will be hoping to go even better this time out.
Read more:
