David Coulthard believes Lewis Hamilton is back to his world-class best and has become a genuine threat for the 2026 world championship. The former driver’s assessment follows Hamilton’s resurgent season with Ferrari, which includes his first victory for the team in Barcelona.
This view comes despite a chaotic Belgian Grand Prix for Hamilton, which was marked by a series of incidents both on and off the track. The Ferrari driver’s weekend at Spa-Francorchamps compounded multiple issues, starting with a crash at the end of Free Practice 3.
On the opening lap of the race, Hamilton collided with Mercedes’ George Russell at Les Combes. The contact sent Russell, who was second in the championship standings, into the gravel and out of the race. Stewards handed Hamilton a five-second time penalty for the incident.
Hamilton later described the clash as an unfortunate racing incident. He stated that he had not been overly aggressive and also carried damage on his car for the remainder of the race. Russell placed no blame on Hamilton for the collision.
Hamilton’s difficult race continued during his pit stop. While serving his penalty, he struck a front-right mechanic upon exiting the pit box. The mechanic was unharmed, but the incident was investigated as an unsafe release.
Ferrari was subsequently fined €30,000 by the FIA for the unsafe release, with €10,000 of that amount suspended. Despite the penalty, damage, and pit lane drama, Hamilton finished the race in fourth position.
The result moved Hamilton into second place in the Drivers’ Championship, 45 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. Coulthard’s recent praise for Hamilton marks a shift, as he had previously noted the seven-time champion’s qualifying deficits to teammates.
Coulthard now views Hamilton’s form and momentum as a serious challenge for the title, putting pressure on both Mercedes and Ferrari to maintain performance throughout the season.
