Lewis Hamilton has called on Ferrari to address their engine shortcomings ahead of the 2027 Formula 1 season, as the seven-time champion pursues a record-equalling eighth world title. The 41-year-old secured a third-place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, ending a six-race podium drought, but acknowledged that a power deficit continues to hamper his championship hopes.
Hamilton’s initial optimism following a maiden victory for Ferrari at Barcelona in June has dimmed considerably since the summer break. A difficult spell in recent races has seen him fall more than 100 points behind Mercedes’ championship leader, Kimi Antonelli. At the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, Hamilton started on a suboptimal tyre choice, a decision that cost him the opportunity to challenge Red Bull’s Max Verstappen despite showing strong race pace.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton defended the technical direction of the team. “I think fundamentally we’ve got a great car, and that’s down to an amazing group of people back at the factory, who are really intelligent and have made the right decisions,” he said. He highlighted Ferrari’s role as trendsetters during the current campaign, noting, “We’ve had things on the car that everyone else has often followed.” However, he conceded that the team must “catch up for next year” regarding power unit performance, adding, “We live with that deficit for the rest of this year.”
With seven rounds remaining, including the inaugural Sprint event in Singapore this weekend, Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his physical condition and focus. He also addressed the off-track speculation surrounding Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, whose position came under scrutiny after former Red Bull chief Christian Horner hinted at interest in the role. Ferrari has publicly stood by Vasseur, and Hamilton criticized the “negative narrative” surrounding the team.
Following the Bahrain result, where teammate Charles Leclerc finished fourth, Hamilton hoped the performance would silence critics. “I hope it’s not too negative chatter after Malaysia,” he said. “We still got good points with third and fourth.” Vasseur adopted a philosophical stance, emphasizing resilience. “You know perfectly the weekends are much easier to manage when you are doing a strong performance,” Vasseur stated. “The most important thing is to be solid when it’s not the case.” He noted that while it is easy to react to success, staying united during difficult weekends—such as the struggles faced by McLaren—is what defines a strong team.
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