Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he “didn’t understand how robust it was going to be” to adapt to life at Ferrari in the course of the 2025 System 1 marketing campaign.
The seven-time world champion made a shock, blockbuster transfer to the Scuderia over the winter after 12 profitable seasons with Mercedes, the place he received six titles.
However Hamilton has largely struggled at Ferrari, as he’s seventh within the championship after six grands prix and suffers a transparent deficit to his new team-mate Charles Leclerc.
“I anticipated it will be very robust, as a result of I’ve joined a staff earlier than,” Hamilton stated forward of this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, having pushed for McLaren earlier than Mercedes. “I got here in with a very open thoughts. I did not understand how robust it was going to be. I knew it was going to be difficult. It is as difficult because it might ever be on all fronts.”
Ferrari was anticipated to battle for each championships this yr after ending runner-up to present leaders McLaren within the 2024 constructors’ standings.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
However that promise has not materialised with Hamilton conceding that, though the staff is “working properly collectively”, there’s nonetheless “numerous work that must be executed” as he’s 90 factors behind championship chief Oscar Piastri.
“Championship? There’s nonetheless an extended, lengthy option to go,” he stated. “From all of the years of expertise, once you’re over 100 factors behind at this level within the season, with a automobile that is up in opposition to a automobile that is fairly dominant, you must assume that you simply’re not essentially preventing for the win within the championship.
“However issues might flip round. We have by no means seen that occur.”
Hamilton, who has nonetheless proven some tempo in 2025 with a win from pole within the Shanghai dash, added that success might additionally “rely upon what upgrades we find yourself having by the season”.
Ferrari is known to have introduced some upgrades to Imola this weekend, however they aren’t considered main updates.
Greater upgrades are as a substitute deliberate for Barcelona in two grands prix time, the place the FIA will even roll out a brand new technical directive to clamp down on versatile wings in F1.
“In the mean time, I am unable to inform you whether or not we will achieve full tenths, half a second, a second by the top of the season,” Hamilton stated.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Picture by: Ferrari
“We wish to get nearer to these issues. And as I stated, for the time being, we won’t shut the door to any thought. We’ve to maintain our eyes and our heads up. We’ve to remain vigilant. We’ve to push with the expectation and the objective of profitable.
“That is nonetheless the objective of every weekend. Proper now, once I’m sitting with the engineers, it is how are we going to win this weekend.
“If we are able to extract somewhat bit extra from the tyres, if we are able to extract somewhat bit extra from the ground, if each single one in every of us is ready to pull out half a tenth every. Then, perhaps we are able to simply get there.”
Learn Additionally:
Hamilton conceded that that is an “additional hopeful” mind-set, however stated that approaching each race weekend with a “optimistic” and “aggressive” angle is vital to turning a staff round.
“You must imagine we’ll discover it,” he stated. “And that is the place I’m. I am not arriving into the weekend considering we’re seventh and eighth. And that is simply the place we’re. And I am not going to alter that.”
Images from Emilia Romagna GP – Thursday
On this article
Owen Bellwood
System 1
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information electronic mail updates on these subjects
Subscribe to information alerts
