(Motorsport-Total.com) – When you think of Formula 1 in the summer, you usually picture yachts, beaches, and celebrating drivers. Lewis Hamilton has rarely been an exception in his more than 20-year career. But in the 2026 summer break, the record world champion fundamentally changed his routine. Instead of rest and partying, this time an uncompromising performance program was on the agenda.
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“That was the most extraordinary summer break I have ever had in all my championship years – I even believe in my entire career,” he says. “Normally you go away and take one or two weeks off. There are some parties and all that stuff. This time I really used it as an opportunity to get to the next level.”
Hamilton says he “trained hard for three weeks” and emphasizes: “I come back from a summer break fitter than ever in the entire 20 years I have been here.”
Together with his team, he also meticulously analyzed the season so far to ruthlessly eliminate weaknesses. “I am really proud of it and the work we have invested,” says the Brit. “Me, my coach, and a lot of analysis work: We looked at where we stood, what we did well, and what we left behind.”
“We analyzed the further schedule and cut things that ultimately do not bring me to where I want to be.”
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The result of this tough summer drill is a Hamilton who not only seems to be at the absolute peak physically but also appears extremely mentally focused. Instead of the usual sluggishness after the holidays, the Ferrari star feels a new dynamic: “I come back and definitely feel like a different person,” he emphasizes.
“It’s a different kind of feeling: instead of just relaxed, I feel full of energy. It’s a good feeling – fit through and through.”
That Hamilton resorts to such extremes in the autumn of his career underlines his ambitions. With a strengthened Ferrari behind him and a fitness form curve at record level, the Brit sends a clear warning to the competition: The fight for the top is far from over for him.
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