Lewis Hamilton has not given up on his dream of an eighth world title, even after a disappointing debut year at Ferrari. The Briton reveals that after his disappointing 2025 season – in which he did not achieve a single podium finish during a main race – he asked himself a number of ‘uncomfortable questions’, and thus regained his motivation. ‘When we presented the new car, I felt as happy as a child,’ says the Ferrari driver.
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While Charles Leclerc was still able to drive to the podium seven times in 2025, Lewis Hamilton was left empty-handed after his debut year at Ferrari. The Briton did not finish on the podium once, apart from success in the sprint races. With a new race engineer for Hamilton on the pit wall and a completely new car for the 2026 season, the Scuderia hopes to turn the tide for the seven-time world champion.
Nevertheless, Hamilton looks back on 2025 once more and takes responsibility for the disappointing results. “My goal last year was to win the world championship with Ferrari, but that didn’t happen,” the driver told the Italian Corriere della Sera. “That doesn’t mean I can’t achieve that goal.” Hamilton also immediately reveals his approach to still be able to fight for that eighth world title. “You have to look closely at yourself and observe the people around you, from your colleagues to your family, stay motivated and ask yourself uncomfortable questions.”
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Uncomfortable questions
The world champion also lists exactly what those questions are: “Am I doing enough? Can I get better? Can I be kinder? How should I adjust my methods?”. Hamilton’s approach is also different now than during his debut year at the Scuderia. “According to the Chinese calendar, this is the Year of the Horse,” the Briton continues. “It stands for freedom, the desire to clear your head and focus again on fundamental values. If you let yourself be overwhelmed by responsibility, you risk losing not only yourself, but also the pleasure. You have to rediscover the joy. When we presented the new car, I felt as happy as a child.”
Should Hamilton indeed fight for his eighth title, he must also beat teammate Charles Leclerc. However, the Briton does not see the Monegasque as his opponent. “Ferrari is something special: in Italy and beyond, people follow it like a religion and love it as if it were the Pope. My goal is not to divide the fans. We both want to win, and of course I want to be the one who does, and I’m working towards that. But the team comes first. Charles is a phenomenal driver in terms of his driving style and his ethics, and he has been here for eight years. But I am approaching this championship in a different way,” Hamilton concludes.
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