Hamilton says Ferrari will use final five races as test sessions
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 30, 2026
Ferrari test plan
Ferrari will turn the final five races of the Formula One season into a rolling test program, using the stretch run to evaluate its 2026 car and sharpen the team for a title push next year. Lewis Hamilton said the plan is about more than lap time. Ferrari wants to see what carries over from the current chassis, improve its processes and identify the changes it needs before the championship fight opens up in earnest. Hamilton framed the end of the season as preparation for a bigger goal, with the Mexico Grand Prix setting the start of that five-race run. He said Ferrari still has work to do on the car, with power unit performance at the top of the list. The team also wants more downforce and a wider operating window, two areas that would give it more consistency across different tracks and conditions. That makes the closing races useful for more than points. They offer Ferrari a chance to gather direct evidence on the car’s strengths and weaknesses while racing under real pressure, a better gauge than any test session away from the grid.
Hamilton title chase
Hamilton said his main target is helping Ferrari secure second place in the constructors’ championship, a position the team has made a clear priority. Ferrari holds a 119-point cushion over Red Bull and McLaren in the battle for that spot, which gives the team room to focus on both results and development over the final five rounds. Hamilton made it clear that the points race matters, but he also tied that push to the larger picture of Ferrari’s long-term form. He said the team would be fighting for the championship this year if it could match the pace of Mercedes and Red Bull, a view that underscores how close Ferrari believes it is to the front-running group. The team has taken a step forward this season after finishing fourth in 2025, and Hamilton pointed to that progress as proof that the work is moving in the right direction. Recent podium finishes by Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Bahrain, Singapore and the United States have added to that sense of momentum. Those results did not solve every issue, but they showed Ferrari can challenge at the front when the package comes together. With five races left, Hamilton’s message was plain. Ferrari wants to keep building while it protects second place in the standings.
Ferrari standings push
Ferrari’s final objective for the season sits in the constructors’ table, where second place offers both competitive and psychological value. The team wants to finish ahead of Red Bull and McLaren, and the current margin gives it control of its own fate over the closing run. Hamilton’s comments show how Ferrari is balancing two tracks at once, racing for the present while collecting information for the future. That approach fits the team’s broader goals. It wants to keep the strengths of the current chassis, fix the areas that limit performance and use each remaining race as a chance to refine how it operates on track. Hamilton’s own championship position adds another layer to the story. He has 241 points and trails George Russell by one point in the drivers’ championship. Kimi Antonelli leads with 365 points. Those numbers sit outside Ferrari’s main target, but they show the tight margins around Hamilton as he works through the final races with the team. For Ferrari, the closing stretch is about converting progress into position. The team has a path to second in the constructors’ standings, and Hamilton says the same races can also lay groundwork for a stronger title bid next year.
