Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has voiced unwavering faith in Ferrari despite the team’s challenging start to the 2025 season, which has left them fifth in the Constructors’ Championship and 61 points behind McLaren.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year, delivered a strong performance to win the sprint race in China but struggled in the grand prix in Shanghai and the season opener in Australia.
Compounding Ferrari’s difficulties, Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from fifth and sixth places in China due to technical infringements.
Addressing speculation about his confidence in the team, Hamilton dismissed any doubts, saying, “I have absolute 100% faith in this team. There was a huge amount of hype at the beginning of the year. I know I’m coming into a new culture, a new team, and it’s going to take time.”
Hamilton acknowledged the difficulties in adapting to a new car and highlighted the impact of lost testing opportunities, including missing the Abu Dhabi test at the end of last year and dealing with breakdowns during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
He admitted the sprint race in China was his first opportunity for a 20-lap stint on the 2025 tyres. “I was learning a lot throughout the race. Every other driver here got to do Abu Dhabi tests and try the 2025 tyre. I didn’t,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Hamilton emphasized his progress, saying, “On reflection, I was quite happy with how I’ve adapted in just those two races. I’ve definitely got a lot of work to do to make sure it’s better moving forward.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc remains optimistic about the season, pointing to the team’s ability to recover from a slow start in 2024 and narrowly miss out on the Constructors’ Championship title.
“Small steps after small steps – we can still have an amazing season,” said the Monegasque, who finished ahead of Hamilton in China despite damaging his front wing in a collision between the two Ferrari drivers.
