Photo: Race Pictures

Hamilton handed 'secret' to 8th drivers' title at Ferrari by F1 icon

14:30, 06 Feb

bySamson Ero

Lewis Hamilton has received the backing of former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese to claim an elusive eighth drivers’ championship.

"I think Lewis Hamilton can do it.”

- Riccardo Patrese

Patrese, who recently shared his outlook for the 2026 season via a gambling platform, detailed his belief that Hamilton can be champion with the Scuderia Ferrari team, provided he experiences a shift in mindset.

"I think Lewis Hamilton can do it. He has to start thinking that he can be competitive and win races. And then, if he does that, he can start aiming for an eighth world title,” Patrese began.

Lewis Hamilton - Photo: Race Pictures

Doubling down on his point, the 71-year-old highlighted how quick Hamilton has proven to be and how restoring his confidence could largely pave the way for him to win the championship.

"If he comes back like he was, and he has always proven to be a very quick driver, and then has the opportunity to win races, I think his confidence will grow. If he rebuilds the confidence he lost a little last year, then anything can happen,” he concluded.

Hamilton endured a challenging debut season with the Ferrari outfit in 2025. However, ahead of the upcoming season, the seven-time world champion has expressed optimism about the team and the changes in approach, which he is particularly pleased with.

The former Mercedes driver also recently offered a positive verdict on his impressions of the new regulations and the SF-26 machinery.

Hamilton could benefit from Adami split

Earlier, Patrese also expressed his belief that Hamilton would be better off after Ferrari’s decision to switch his race engineer.

The Italian, in his analysis, recounted a scenario from his own racing years, describing how a change in his race engineer once led to a performance surge.