Lando Norris, the newly crowned Formula One champion, has expressed confidence in Lewis Hamilton's ability to recover in 2026 after a challenging debut season with Ferrari. Hamilton made a high-profile
switch from Mercedes to Ferrari before the 2025 season but did not meet expectations. He failed to secure a podium finish, with his best result being fourth place in four races. Hamilton ended the season sixth in the Drivers' Championship with 156 points, marking his lowest total since the current point system began in 2010.
Norris, who became the first British driver to win F1's top prize since Hamilton in 2020, believes that Hamilton will regain form as new rules and regulations are set to be introduced in 2026. "We've had a good number of battles already. I would love to race a bit more with Lewis," Norris told Sky Sports. "Obviously, Ferrari struggled a lot more this year than I think everyone was expecting. Lewis has proved himself to be probably the best of all time. "
The upcoming changes in regulations will significantly impact chassis, aerodynamics, and engines. Norris mentioned that these changes would level the playing field for all teams. "Next year, everyone's got an opportunity," he said. "Everyone's looking forward to it. People want to come to take my crown, and I want to try to retain it. And I look forward to that battle. "
Ferrari finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship behind Mercedes. Charles Leclerc contributed significantly with 242 points out of Ferrari's total of 398 points and secured all seven of their podium finishes during the season.
Big congrats @LandoNorris your Drivers Championship win! pic.twitter.com/DyrWV8iZSO
- Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) December 7, 2025
Norris also made history by becoming the first McLaren driver since Hamilton in 2008 to win the world title for the British team. This achievement ended a dominant year for him and his teammate Oscar Piastri. In F1 history, only Red Bull scored more points than McLaren did in 2025 when Max Verstappen won 19 out of 21 races.
Reflecting on his experiences racing against top drivers like Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, Norris expressed admiration for competing against such talent. "Everyone knows if anyone can bounce back from difficult years, it's Mr Hamilton," he added. "It's always a privilege that I get to race against someone that is the best in the world. "
