Guenther Steiner believes Lewis Hamilton has a small but genuine chance of winning a record eighth Formula 1 world championship in 2026. However, the former Haas team principal says Ferrari must fully back Hamilton if the Briton is to overcome championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari may need to prioritise Hamilton
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner suggested Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur may soon have to introduce clear team orders in Hamilton’s favour over team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton has generally had the upper hand over Leclerc this season, making him Ferrari’s most likely challenger to Mercedes driver Antonelli in the title fight.
“There need to be two things for Lewis to win the championship, the eighth one, and I think that would be a great moment for the sport, somebody winning eight championships. Kimi needs to make some mistakes. If Kimi stays clean, it will be very difficult to do, but Kimi is young and Mercedes has trouble with the car sometimes, mechanical issues.
“At some stage, Ferrari needs to put everything behind Lewis if they are serious about winning it because he’s in front of Charles, so he should get the support,” Steiner explained.
Steiner believes Vasseur will recognise that Ferrari cannot afford to divide its efforts between Hamilton and Leclerc if it wants to challenge Mercedes.
“I think Fred will be doing that and saying, ‘Hey guys, we need to put our money on one of the guys and not try to have papaya rules here.’ They need the help of Kimi and Mercedes as well. Otherwise, it will be very difficult.”
Asked whether Hamilton can win his eighth world title this season, Steiner said the possibility remains, but the outcome could depend heavily on Antonelli and Mercedes’ performance during the second half of the campaign.
“I think there is a small chance that it can happen, yes. For me, the biggest thing is how much Kimi and Mercedes will be struggling in the second half of the season.”
Antonelli currently leads team-mate George Russell and Hamilton by 59 points, with Russell and Hamilton level on points.
