Mansell: “With the car he deserves, Hamilton can win his eighth title”

The nightmare of the first year The arrival of Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari in 2025 seemed to be a turning point in the career of the seven-time British champion, fresh from a crisis of results in Mercedes. Many had seen ‘Sir Lewis’ ready to relaunch the challenge to Max Verstappen to return to the top of the world, but last season instead turned out to be a real disaster: no victory and no podium, with related controversies over his performance which had also raised doubts about a possible retirement from F1. The ‘Lion’ insists Now, while waiting for the 2026 championship, the #44 seems to have found a greater feeling with the new SF-26, to the point that many ‘Fans’ or former drivers do not exclude the possibility of seeing him return to the F1 roll of honour, all to the detriment of his 41 years of age. One of these was the 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell, Hamilton’s compatriot and Ferrari driver in the two-year period 1989-1990. The hope of the ‘Lion’, interviewed by The Observer, is to see Hamilton at his highest levels again, despite last year’s predictions which proved to be unsuccessful, when he indicated that what would be Hamilton’s first season in Ferrari as “monumental”: “I don’t want to put pressure on him, but I think Lewis will have a fantastic year. He’s 41 years old, he’s as strong as a bull and is in great shape. If Ferrari gives him the car he deserves, he will still be able to do it and conquer that magic eighth world title. I think it’s over yet.” Beware of rivals Mansell therefore believes in Hamilton, but at the same time he has not overshadowed another English driver like the reigning world champion Lando Norris: “He is very young, he has the world at his feet – he added – he will improve, he will be more confident this year. He will have another half second in his pocket when he wants to push. He is the world champion, and when you wear that cape it gives you an edge. You have done it; being world champion is the most important thing to achieve than anything. I think that 2026 will be a fantastic championship. Mercedes are the big favourites, McLaren are there and Ferrari are there, which is incredibly exciting.”