Daily News 19

Tag: 2026 Formula 1 championship

  • Guenther Steiner: Lewis Hamilton Can Win an Eighth F1 Title If Ferrari Makes One Key Call

    Guenther Steiner: Lewis Hamilton Can Win an Eighth F1 Title If Ferrari Makes One Key Call

    Guenther Steiner believes Lewis Hamilton has a small but genuine chance of winning a record eighth Formula 1 world championship in 2026. However, the former Haas team principal says Ferrari must fully back Hamilton if the Briton is to overcome championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

    Ferrari may need to prioritise Hamilton

    Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner suggested Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur may soon have to introduce clear team orders in Hamilton’s favour over team-mate Charles Leclerc.

    Hamilton has generally had the upper hand over Leclerc this season, making him Ferrari’s most likely challenger to Mercedes driver Antonelli in the title fight.

    “There need to be two things for Lewis to win the championship, the eighth one, and I think that would be a great moment for the sport, somebody winning eight championships. Kimi needs to make some mistakes. If Kimi stays clean, it will be very difficult to do, but Kimi is young and Mercedes has trouble with the car sometimes, mechanical issues.

    “At some stage, Ferrari needs to put everything behind Lewis if they are serious about winning it because he’s in front of Charles, so he should get the support,” Steiner explained.

    Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

    Steiner believes Vasseur will recognise that Ferrari cannot afford to divide its efforts between Hamilton and Leclerc if it wants to challenge Mercedes.

    “I think Fred will be doing that and saying, ‘Hey guys, we need to put our money on one of the guys and not try to have papaya rules here.’ They need the help of Kimi and Mercedes as well. Otherwise, it will be very difficult.”

    Asked whether Hamilton can win his eighth world title this season, Steiner said the possibility remains, but the outcome could depend heavily on Antonelli and Mercedes’ performance during the second half of the campaign.

    “I think there is a small chance that it can happen, yes. For me, the biggest thing is how much Kimi and Mercedes will be struggling in the second half of the season.”

    Antonelli currently leads team-mate George Russell and Hamilton by 59 points, with Russell and Hamilton level on points.

  • Ferrari Urged to Support Lewis Hamilton as Guenther Steiner Warns of Team Orders

    Ferrari Urged to Support Lewis Hamilton as Guenther Steiner Warns of Team Orders

    Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Ferrari must establish clear rules of engagement and support Lewis Hamilton over Charles Leclerc if the team is to remain in contention for the 2026 Formula 1 championship.

    Ferrari’s internal driver dynamic came under scrutiny after the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where contrasting strategies created tension between Hamilton and Leclerc. Hamilton was running on fresher tyres and had stronger pace, but was held up behind his Ferrari team-mate. The delay cost the seven-time world champion valuable time and led to frustrated radio complaints.

    Steiner calls for clear Ferrari team orders

    Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner argued that Ferrari should have agreed on potential team orders before the race rather than trying to manage the situation during it.

    “You cannot implement team orders during a race,” Steiner explained. “You need to agree them beforehand. The realistic thing is, can Charles really win the world championship? Maybe not. And who is in front? Lewis.

    “I haven’t done the calculations of how realistic it is for him to win the world championship, but if one of the two can win, it is Lewis. So, as somebody else has shown, if you want to win, it’s very tight up front there. You need to put your money on the guy who has got the better chance.

    Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

    “That’s the guy in front, who has got more points, and that is the only selling point to Charles. ‘Hey buddy, your team-mate has done better up to now. Now he’s number one.’”

    Fred Vasseur must lead Ferrari’s championship strategy

    Steiner said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is responsible for making the team’s position clear to both drivers and deciding whether one driver should receive priority in the title fight.

    “Fred, that is his job,” he said. “I don’t think John Elkann should or would get involved in it because if he gets involved in that one at that stage, he needs to run the team.

    “But I think Fred is very much in control of it because Fred needs to win a world championship.”