Lewis Hamilton's 2026 Season Deemed Pivotal For F1 Legacy, Says Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa believes Lewis Hamilton is putting together one of the defining campaigns of a Formula One career, as the Ferrari driver hunts an eighth world title during the 2026 season and battles Kimi Antonelli, while also re-establishing status inside the team after ending a long victory drought.

The seven-time champion sits second in the Drivers' Championship after seven rounds, 41 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli, yet Hamilton has moved 40 points clear of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, underlining a strong second year with Ferrari following a crucial win at Barcelona-Catalunya.

Massa, who finished runner-up in the 2008 title race and represented Ferrari from 2006 to 2013, feels Hamilton's renewed form arrives at a key moment, with the 41-year-old using this campaign to prove competitiveness, happiness and race sharpness remain at the top level of Formula One.

"I think that this year is one of the most important years for Lewis, to be able to feel that he's competitive, Massa told Stats Perform. When you are 100% competitive, you know what you're doing, and you have the team really believing in youthat'sthe best that a driver can have.I think Lewis didn't have that anymore until the beginning of the season. So, that's why what's happening this year is one of the most important things for his career: to be able to win, to be able to feel happy again, and to be able to show that he still can race at the top level in Formula One."

Hamilton's victory at Barcelona-Catalunya halted a run of 41 races without a win, stretching back several seasons, and Massa argues that breakthrough has restored confidence within both driver and garage, with Ferrari now viewing Hamilton as a weekly threat to Antonelli and to the Drivers' Championship lead.

Despite Hamilton holding a clear points gap over Charles Leclerc, Massa does not want Ferrari to rush into naming Hamilton as a defined lead driver during the 2026 season, stressing that title hopes depend on keeping both Ferrari drivers aligned while rivals extract strong results from their own pair.

"Well, I think not yet, he said when asked if Hamilton had become Ferrari's main driver. Also, because I don't believe Ferrari needs to have a number one driver now. I think they need to fight with both drivers, because another team is doing a much better job with both drivers. So, at the end, they really need to work as a team. They need to work to give the best for both drivers to achieve everything they can in a short period of time and then, after, to understand which way the championship is going. I really don't believe they need to do that because, if they do that, they just split and cut the team in the middle, and I think that's not positive for anything."

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula One 2026 season future

Massa expects Hamilton's performances during the 2026 season to strengthen the desire to keep racing, yet the former Ferrari driver also feels both Hamilton and Fernando Alonso should already weigh up long-term plans away from Formula One, given their age and the physical and mental demands of modern campaigns.

"For sure, for a driver and for sport, it's very difficult to stop, the Brazilian continued.You really need to have your mind open to stop, and already thinking about what you're going to do after you finish your career in Formula One. If Lewis does have a really goodchampionship, I'm 100% sure he will carry on for next year.But then I believe if I am in his position, I will think about stopping, which is the same for Fernando Alonso. For me, Alonso has passed his perfect timing in terms of age of Formula One. So if I am alsoFernando, I will leave, and I will stop Formula One career at the end of the year, and I will keep racing but in another championship."

Massa's assessment leaves Hamilton approaching the rest of the 2026 season under intense focus, with the Ferrari driver chasing Antonelli's points lead, balancing cooperation with Leclerc and considering how much longer to extend a Formula One journey that already includes seven world titles and a fresh spell of form.