Hamilton reveals he ignored Ferrari simulator setup as his direction became the team's reference at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he deliberately ignored Ferrari's simulator-recommended setup direction at the British Grand Prix, opting instead to follow his own instincts—a decision he says ultimately proved to be the correct one and was later adopted by teammate Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari enjoyed its strongest weekend of the 2026 season at Silverstone, with Leclerc converting pole-challenging pace into his first victory of the year while Hamilton fought back to finish third after a race that included a time penalty and a late strategic setback.

Leclerc made the decisive move on Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the start to take the lead and controlled the opening phase of the race.

Although he briefly lost the position during the pit stop cycle, he reclaimed the net lead once Antonelli made his stop. The Mercedes driver rapidly closed the gap on fresher tyres, reducing the deficit to just 3.7 seconds before suffering an issue with his wheel shield, allowing Leclerc to pull clear and secure Ferrari's first win of the season.

Hamilton's afternoon was more complicated. Running second in the early stages, he received a time penalty for moving at the start, which dropped him down the order after serving it during his first pit stop.

The Briton recovered strongly, overtaking Max Verstappen to climb back into second place, only for Ferrari to pit him under a late Safety Car.

The decision relegated him to third by the finish. Hamilton was also investigated after the race for a yellow flag infringement but escaped with only a reprimand.

Despite missing out on a better result, Hamilton left Silverstone encouraged by the progress Ferrari has made, particularly regarding the team's understanding of the SF-26's setup.

"I mean, up until now, we really have been making such great progress," started the seven-time world champion.

The Briton explained that the simulator had recommended a significantly different setup direction before the weekend, but he and his engineers chose not to follow it.

"And what gives me confidence is coming into this weekend, the simulator said that we should start in a much different place with the set-up, and my engineers and I decided to stay within the direction that we would normally go."

According to Hamilton, Leclerc initially followed the simulator's recommendation, but the data gathered over the weekend eventually pointed Ferrari towards Hamilton's preferred setup philosophy.

"Charles started the way it was, but the sim would say to go, and then ended up my philosophy and the direction that I was taking was ultimately the right one, and he migrated that way."

Hamilton believes the outcome validates the development direction he has been advocating since joining Ferrari and gives him confidence that the team is beginning to unlock the car's potential.

"It's good to see that direction that I have pushed for is paying off and that we've just got to continue to make changes and continue to push. We've got to continue to bring upgrades," he continued.

While Ferrari celebrated its first victory of the campaign, Hamilton stressed that there is still plenty of work ahead if the Scuderia is to consistently challenge at the front.

Looking ahead to the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilton acknowledged that Ferrari will face a different challenge on one of Formula 1's fastest circuits.

"Spa is going to be long straights, but ultimately, I've got to do a better job than I did this weekend," Hamilton concluded.