The 41-year-old Briton said that age does not affect his reflexes and responded to criticism. Hamilton has one win and five podiums in 2026 and is third in the championship, 32 points behind Antonelli.
Lewis Hamilton has defended his relevance in Formula 1 after a start to the season in which he has proven that at 41 he remains one of the fastest drivers on the grid. The Briton, who has one win and five podiums so far this season, responded to criticism about his age after Kimi Antonelli (19) became the championship leader: "All this talk about your reactions being slower is complete nonsense. The other day in the race I was faster reacting at the start than Kimi and he's 19," declared Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion went through one of his most complicated years in 2025, stringing together several Grands Prix in a row, being eliminated in Q1, something that had never happened to him before. However, the regulation change in 2026 has suited him much better, and he has regained confidence in his driving: "After last season, I was looking forward to clearing my mind and facing the new regulations with more energy," explained Hamilton.
Another aspect that denotes Hamilton's better performance is that within Ferrari, the tables have turned radically, not only because of the on-track results but also because of the optimization of the car during a weekend. Charles Leclerc, his teammate, has followed his setup philosophy at Silverstone, which has proven that the direction the Briton has taken is the correct one: "Before this weekend, the simulator said we had to change the setup, but my engineers decided to have similar settings to the usual ones. Charles first chose a configuration similar to the simulator's but changed it, since my philosophy ended up being the correct one," said Hamilton.
Hamilton is third in the drivers' championship with 147 points, just 32 behind Antonelli, who leads the standings. The Briton has regained his smile at Ferrari and sees himself with options to fight for the title: "It gives me confidence that my setup philosophy ended up being the right one. It's good to see that the direction I chose is paying off" he concluded.
The regulation change has been key to Hamilton's resurgence, who has found in the SF-26 a car that suits his driving style. The Briton trusts that he can continue fighting for wins and for the championship, and has proven that age does not impede competing at the highest level.
Hamilton has proven that age is just a number, with his experience, talent and a competitive Ferrari, the Briton is shaping up as a serious title contender, ready to battle with the young guns.
