MOTOR RACING: Hamilton says the opportunity is there for record F1 title

Lewis Hamilton said he still believes a record eighth world title is within reach after his first Ferrari win, but admitted that closing the gap to championship leader Mercedes and its driver Kimi Antonelli will depend on steady development and focusing race by race.

REUTERS

June 26, 2026

MOTOR RACING: Hamilton says the opportunity is there for record F1 title

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton takes cover under an umbrella amid a heatwave ahead of the press conference at the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, June 25, 2026.

Leonhard Foeger / Reuters

SPIELBERG, Austria — Lewis Hamilton believes the opportunity is still there for him to win a record eighth Formula One world title, saying he knows what is required to stay in contention as the season progresses.

The 41-year-old Briton has found renewed momentum after claiming his first victory with Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month, following back-to-back second-place finishes. He currently sits second in the championship standings, trailing Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 41 points.

While the gap remains substantial, Hamilton—Formula One’s most successful driver with seven world championships, six of them earned with Mercedes—said he is not ruling out a title challenge.

“I think the opportunity is there, but it’s one thing being there and it’s another thing galvanizing the troops and developing,” Hamilton told reporters on Thursday. “You can hit plateaus in terms of development, so all we can do is take it one day at a time and continue to bring everything.”

Ferrari will introduce their first engine upgrade of the season at the eighth round in Austria this weekend, a development that could help close the performance gap at the front of the field.

“It’s a step, not the whole gap, but it’s a step. It’s one foot forward, which I’m really proud and thankful for,” Hamilton said. His former team has dominated the early part of the season, winning the first six races and securing pole position at all seven Grands Prix so far.

“Mercedes are the team to beat. They’ve been incredible this year—a great car, an amazing team, a world championship team,” he added. “So we have a real battle on our hands, and it’s going to take everyone for the rest of the year to even come close to competing with them. But I don’t think it’s impossible.”

Hamilton, who won his first title with McLaren in 2008 and his most recent with Mercedes in 2020, said experience will also play a key role in the championship fight.

“In terms of the championship, I’ve been here before. I know what I have to do, and there’s a long way to go,” he said. “We’re not arriving at this weekend thinking about the championship. We’re thinking about this weekend and executing the best we can.” -Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters