After taking a close look at the dominant Mercedes race car, Formula 1 fans are hailing Lewis Hamilton online as a worthy successor to “Inspector Seb”Lewis Hamilton caused quite a stir in the paddock. Because the record-breaking world champion was spotted closely inspecting the currently dominant car of his former employer, Mercedes, reactions online were quick to follow.
Memories of Sebastian Vettel were brought to mind, as he was famous for his meticulous inspections of other teams’ cars. “Finally, we have a worthy successor to Inspector Seb,” a fan on Reddit celebrated the viral moment.
While some observers immediately speculated whether the Brit secretly regrets leaving Mercedes, another user took a much more pragmatic approach to Hamilton’s curiosity: “He’s doing exactly what everyone else does. He’s looking at the performance and trying to figure out how to squeeze six tenths out of a car that has hardly any aero updates to explain it.”
Another fan saw the action as a completely everyday situation that every employee is familiar with: “You know that feeling when you change jobs, get curious, and check out your old company’s website or LinkedIn profile to see what they’re up to, and think to yourself, ‘Oh, interesting.’ That’s probably exactly what it is.”
In fact, the balance of power in the premier class has shifted dramatically with the start of the 2026 era. Mercedes has left the unpopular ground-effect generation behind and is currently dominating the field at will. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli turned an all-silver front row in Australia directly into a one-two finish. In China, the Silver Arrows picked up right where they left off, despite a minor slip-up: Russell won the Sprint, while Antonelli secured pole position for the Grand Prix in Shanghai.
However, many do not see Hamilton’s pursuit of the very team with which he celebrated six of his seven world championship titles as a source of frustration. Quite the contrary. “He’s dreamed of driving for Ferrari since he was a child,” one user aptly analyzes the 41-year-old’s situation. “Now he’s in the second-fastest car and chasing the very team he left that now dominates the top—that’s exactly the scenario real racers dream of.”
It was by no means certain that Hamilton would be able to compete at the top again on his own merits in a Ferrari. Following his sensational move to the Scuderia at the end of 2024, the Briton endured an extremely tough first season in Maranello and struggled to adapt to his new racing home.
But the new regulations for 2026 seem to suit the veteran much better. Hamilton already made a strong comeback with a 4th-place finish at the season opener in Melbourne. In China, he’ll now be attacking from 3rd on the grid, putting the dominant Silver Arrows right in his sights.