Lewis Hamilton has admitted he went through periods of real self-doubt after joining Ferrari, before claiming his first victory for the team last weekend.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion moved to Ferrari following a difficult final stretch with Mercedes. During his last four years with his previous team, Hamilton won only twice. One of those victories, at Spa in 2024, came after his team mate was disqualified, which underlined how rare clear-cut winning opportunities had become for him.
Hamilton’s early Ferrari chapter was also challenging. In his first season with the team, he did not finish on the podium in a grand prix. He was often openly critical of his own performances after races and admitted there were moments when he questioned whether he could still compete at the level that had made him one of Formula 1’s most successful drivers.
Reflecting on that period, Hamilton said his 2024 Silverstone win had already been a major emotional milestone because he had started to wonder whether another victory would ever come.
“The win in Silverstone in 2024 was, in its own way, a monumental moment for me,” Hamilton said. “It was a moment where I thought maybe I would never get to win again. Then, after a year like last year, there were definitely moments where I thought, ‘Maybe it is true that when you get to a certain point, you lose it.’”
However, Hamilton said his first Ferrari win has helped prove to himself that the ability remains, even if rediscovering it requires patience, resilience and belief.
“But I’ve proven that you don’t,” he said. “You always have it. It just takes work. It takes perseverance and that constant belief in yourself to tap into your inner self and keep yourself alive.”
The result came after Hamilton had already shown stronger form in the previous two rounds, finishing second in both. In Monaco, he shared the podium with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar, two drivers whose combined ages are still less than that of the 41-year-old Ferrari driver.
Despite the rise of Formula 1’s younger generation, Hamilton said he still feels physically capable of fighting at the front. He acknowledged the quality of the younger drivers around him, but insisted his own fitness and motivation remain strong.
“I feel great physically,” Hamilton said. “I’m racing with 19-year-olds who are doing amazing, but I feel great.”
Ferrari’s progress has also played an important role in Hamilton’s improved results. The team introduced a significant upgrade package at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, and Hamilton said he has been encouraged by the speed and ambition of Ferrari’s development work this season.
He praised the team for listening, reacting and pushing to improve the car, describing innovation as a key theme of the campaign. Hamilton said Ferrari’s recent updates have shown the kind of leadership and creativity he wanted to see from the team.
“It’s so early in the season to get to this point,” he said. “These guys have really listened and worked hard to add performance and be innovative.”
Hamilton pointed to Ferrari’s recent aerodynamic developments, including changes around the rear exhaust and rear wing, as examples of the approach he had been asking for. He said the team has shown it can be bold with its design direction, but warned that one victory does not mean success will now come easily.
“This year is all about innovation,” Hamilton said. “We came out with the bit on the rear exhaust. We came out with the rear wing, the ‘Macarena’. This is what I was asking for last year. This team has to be the leader in that, and they’ve shown that they can and they will.”
Even after breaking through with Ferrari, Hamilton stressed that the team still faces a demanding challenge. He said Ferrari must continue improving if it wants to match the level Mercedes has shown throughout the season so far.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “By no means is this something that is just going to happen all the time. We’ve got a heavy, steep mountain to climb ahead of us to try to do this as Mercedes has all year so far.”
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