Lewis Hamilton plans Ferrari title push to catch F1 leader Kimi Antonelli
Lewis Hamilton is aiming to eradicate recent costly errors as he looks to launch a second-half title challenge for Ferrari against Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli, starting at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion currently sits second in the Drivers’ Championship as the 2026 Formula 1 season resumes.
He trails Antonelli by 50 points at the halfway stage, with a maximum of 12 races remaining to close the gap.
The Scuderia are desperate to end a 19-year wait for a drivers’ title, while also pressuring Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.
Eradicating costly mistakes
Despite regaining second place from former team-mate George Russell before the summer break, the British veteran has been frustrated by his own recent errors.
A string of uncharacteristic penalties heavily disrupted his momentum during the final European double-header.
A false start at Silverstone and a collision with Russell at Spa-Francorchamps were followed by two further infractions in Hungary.
A grid penalty for blocking Oscar Piastri cost him a crucial front-row start, before a pit-lane speeding violation further hindered his race.
Seeking second-half perfection
Finishing fifth in Budapest led the grid’s most successful driver to openly acknowledge his recent shortcomings.
Ultimately these last few races have been costly with mistakes from myself.
The former Mercedes star described his first half of the campaign, which included a maiden Ferrari victory in Spain, as merely acceptable.
I’ve really got to work hard to try to figure out how I can do better in the second half.
He also vowed to stop giving race stewards any opportunity to issue further sanctions as the championship battle intensifies.
While the Mercedes duo of Antonelli and Russell have dropped points through mechanical unreliability, the Ferrari challenger knows he must deliver a flawless run to conquer the championship leader.