Racing
© fuji.tim
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has given Lewis Hamilton a clear public vote of confidence for 2027, answering “Yes” when asked directly if the seven-time champion will still be racing for the team that season.
The significance of that answer is hard to miss given how sharply Hamilton’s fortunes have changed at Maranello. After a difficult first Ferrari season in 2025, he has opened 2026 in far stronger form and sits third in the drivers’ championship on 147 points at the halfway stage. He is ahead of Charles Leclerc, has won in Barcelona, has taken five podiums from nine races, and has scored points at every round.
That turnaround comes after what was statistically the weakest season of Hamilton’s career. The 41-year-old finished sixth in the 2025 standings with 156 points, failed to score a grand prix podium, and ended the year 86 points behind Leclerc.
Vasseur’s public backing also lands against a more guarded line he took at the British Grand Prix, where he resisted discussing the contract situation amid reports in Italy that Hamilton was close to extending his stay beyond 2026. Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in an FIA press conference at Silverstone, Vasseur said: “Who spoke about the extension? I will discuss with him for the extension, not with everybody. He is still under contract with us and it’s not time to discuss about an extension.”
Even with that reluctance to talk through the details, Hamilton’s resurgence has strengthened the case for continuity. After taking his first Ferrari victory in Barcelona, he made clear how central Vasseur had been to the recovery. Lewis Hamilton said: “I wouldn't be in this team without Fred.” He added: “Fred is the one that made it happen, of which I'm incredibly grateful to him for.”
Support for Ferrari keeping Hamilton also extends beyond the team itself. A RacingNews365 readers’ poll found 97.6% in favor of retaining him for 2027, with 2.4% against.
Hamilton has also made his own position clear. At the Canadian Grand Prix, he said retirement is “not even on my thoughts” and insisted he still plans to remain in Formula 1 “for some time,” a stance that fits both his improved performance and Ferrari’s increasingly open confidence in keeping the partnership going into 2027.