Lewis Hamilton is targeting a victory at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, aiming for his first win at Spa-Francorchamps since 2024. The Ferrari driver’s last triumph at the circuit occurred during his tenure with Mercedes.
The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix weekend is scheduled to commence on July 17, with the race itself taking place on July 19.
Hamilton has demonstrated strong form during the current 2026 Formula 1 season with Ferrari. He secured his maiden victory for the Scuderia at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
This win marked his first Grand Prix triumph since the 2024 Belgian event. Hamilton currently holds third position in the drivers’ standings.
Ferrari’s recent performance has shown encouraging signs, particularly at the British Grand Prix where Charles Leclerc claimed a victory. The team’s aerodynamic efficiency and energy management capabilities have been noted.
Despite these improvements, Ferrari faces a power deficit compared to Mercedes. Hamilton has stressed the necessity for Ferrari to maximize its output each weekend.
He stated that the team must ‘extract everything we can from each weekend’ to challenge Mercedes effectively in the championship pursuit.
Mercedes has established itself as a dominant force in the 2026 season. Drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have led the team to seven victories out of nine races.
Antonelli, driving the Mercedes W17, secured his first career win at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year. Mercedes currently leads both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
The 2026 Formula 1 season introduced significant technical regulation changes. These include a new Power Unit architecture with a near 50:50 split between internal combustion and electrical power.
The MGU-H component has been removed, and the MGU-K’s capability has been substantially increased to 350 kW. Cars are also shorter, narrower, and lighter.
These regulatory shifts have presented both challenges and opportunities for innovation across all teams. Mercedes’ Technical Director, James Allison, described it as a ‘wholesale transformation’.
Ferrari’s ability to manage hybrid energy deployment efficiently was a key factor at Silverstone. This could prove advantageous at Spa-Francorchamps, despite Mercedes’ outright power unit strength.
Hamilton’s last victory at Spa in 2024 came after his then-teammate George Russell was disqualified for an underweight car. This marked Hamilton’s final win for Mercedes.
The ongoing championship battle sees Hamilton 32 points behind leader Antonelli. Ferrari is 78 points adrift of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.
