The Belgian Formula 1 GP will see Ferrari on the rise, but Lewis Hamilton believes Spa-Francorchamps could pose a greater challenge for the Italian team. Even so, the seven-time champion highlighted the work done in Maranello and stated that everyone remains committed to closing the gap to Mercedes.
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The battle between the two teams gained momentum in the early stages of the season under the new power unit regulations. Ferrari’s recent performance has put the team in a position to pressure their rivals, making the fight for results even more balanced.
The Italian team adopted an aggressive development strategy this year. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc received updates in most of the races held so far, allowing the SF-26 to evolve significantly.
These advances have already yielded important results. Hamilton won in Barcelona, while Leclerc triumphed at the British GP in Silverstone, a circuit where the initial expectation was strong favoritism for Mercedes.
Ferrari’s success at the British round even surprised the German team. Given this, Hamilton admitted that it is still difficult to predict how the car will behave on the Belgian track, known for its long straights.
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“On this track, it is very difficult. This circuit is all about long straights. We went to Silverstone thinking we would be far behind in power, but the car was fast in the corners, much better than we imagined,” said the seven-time champion.
Hamilton believes that Spa’s characteristics may favor Mercedes: “We arrived here without really knowing what to expect, except for the fact that the track has about 30% more straights. I think there was still a three or four-tenths difference in the last race, so we expect it to be a bit bigger here,” he added.
Despite the caution, the Briton made a point of praising the work done by Ferrari: “We are doing everything we can in terms of updates. I am very proud of the team. They keep pushing to optimize the car. We are making small adjustments every week, which is great to see. Instead of one update and another months later, we have something new practically every weekend, and I hope we keep finding more,” concluded the experienced British driver.
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