When a former World Champion speaks, Formula 1 listens.
And when that champion is Jenson Button — a man who shared a garage with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren — the message carries weight.
Button has issued a stark warning ahead of 2026:
Do not write Lewis Hamilton off.
An eighth World Championship, once dismissed as fantasy, is now — in Button’s words — a very real and “dangerous” possibility.
💔 2025: The Slow-Motion Heartbreak
The 2025 season was supposed to be cinematic.
Hamilton in Ferrari red.
A legacy move.
A final charge at immortality.
Instead, it unraveled.
The Ferrari never truly matched his instinctive, aggressive driving style. Week after week, Hamilton wrestled with a machine that refused to cooperate. The frustration was visible — the lowered head, the tight jaw, the thousand-yard stare.
Button didn’t hide the emotion:
“It was tough to watch. You could see it in his face… how much it was hurting.”
For a driver synonymous with dominance, vulnerability was unfamiliar territory.
But Button doesn’t see weakness in that pain.
He sees ignition.
🔄 2026: The Great Reset
The 2026 regulations represent one of the most radical technical overhauls in modern Formula 1 history.
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New power units
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New aerodynamics
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Entirely new car philosophy
Button’s message is simple:
“With the way the regulation changes are, anything is possible.”
In 2025, Hamilton inherited a frozen concept.
In 2026, he becomes part of the blueprint.
That difference is enormous.
If Ferrari builds a car that aligns with Hamilton’s braking style, race craft, and feedback precision, the narrative could flip instantly.
The veteran many labeled “finished” could re-emerge as the grid’s apex predator.
⚠️ The “Dangerous” Version of Hamilton
Formula 1 has a habit of discarding legends quickly.
But history shows something else about Hamilton:
He thrives when doubted.
Button has seen it firsthand — from McLaren struggles to Mercedes-era dominance.
“People write him off quickly… but with the new regulation changes, we will see Lewis Hamilton back to his best. I really do.”
The paddock whispers suggest 2025 didn’t break Hamilton.
It sharpened him.
🐎 Ferrari’s Redemption Arc
This isn’t just about Hamilton.
It’s about Scuderia Ferrari.
Ferrari doesn’t exist to fight for fifth.
It exists to win.
Button echoed what many feel:
“We all want to see Ferrari at the front. They’re such a big part of Formula 1.”
A competitive Ferrari paired with a motivated Hamilton isn’t just a championship threat.
It’s a cultural event.
It’s Netflix drama.
It’s sponsor gold.
It’s rival team anxiety.
If the chassis works and the power unit delivers, Hamilton + Ferrari could become the most powerful storyline in modern F1.
🏆 The 8th Title — Fantasy or Fate?
Button stopped short of a bold prediction:
“I’ll tell you after the first race whether it’s possible.”
Classic F1 suspense.
The opening race of a regulation era always reveals the truth winter testing hides.
But one thing is undeniable:
Jenson Button hasn’t closed the book on Lewis Hamilton.
He’s left the door wide open.
And in Formula 1, an open door is all Hamilton needs.