Speed recognises speed: Why Usain Bolt believes Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari peak is coming

Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, is putting his faith firmly behind Lewis Hamilton’s bid to rediscover his Formula 1 peak, and he believes Ferrari’s early-season form lends weight to his confidence.

After a challenging first year with the Scuderia in 2025 — one in which Hamilton failed to score a single Grand Prix podium and finished sixth in the standings — Bolt was quick to remind the world that true greatness isn’t forgotten overnight. In an exclusive interview this week, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist insisted that Hamilton will return to the top of the sport.

“For me, it’s always going to be tough... it’s much easier to get back to the top because you know the work, and you know what you need to do,” Bolt said, reflecting on the rebound after a "dismal" 2025. He went even further, calling Hamilton the greatest of all time: “Yeah, definitely, without doubt... he knows what it takes to get there and to stay there.”

Bolt acknowledged that the move from Mercedes to Maranello represented a seismic shift, requiring time to absorb a new team culture and car philosophy. He predicted Hamilton would need “at least two years to really get comfortable,” suggesting that 2026 — the first year of the sport's radical new technical regulations — could be the real turning point.

The early work with the SF-26 at the Barcelona Shakedown on last week offered the first indicator that this process of rediscovery is bearing fruit. Running under the new rules — which feature active aerodynamics, nimbler chassis, and a 50/50 power split between electric and internal combustion — the SF-26 completed a heavy programme of laps without the disruptive reliability woes that dogged Ferrari in recent seasons.

In unofficial timings, Hamilton posted the quickest lap of the week, a 1:16.348, narrowly beating former teammate George Russell and reigning champion Lando Norris. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc combined for approximately 440 laps across the event, a sign of robust mechanical health.

While pundits caution against reading too much into shakedown timesheets, Hamilton himself emerged from the sessions sounding buoyant — a stark contrast to the slouched shoulders and disappointment common throughout his 2025 campaign.

“It’s been a really enjoyable week, honestly, to see the mileage that we’ve been able to get ... we didn’t really have any downtime moments,” Hamilton said. “The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive ... I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

Bolt’s belief in Hamilton’s ability to rise again isn’t just wishful thinking; it is grounded in these early signs of technical progress. With a car that is delivering solid mileage, competitive pace, and a better driving experience, Hamilton’s optimism resonates with the idea that the "GOAT" may be ready to reclaim his place at the front of the grid.

Would you like me to look up the final lap counts from the other major teams at Barcelona, such as Red Bull and McLaren, to see how Ferrari’s reliability truly compares?