Lewis Hamilton insists that Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can still be hailed as a "huge achievement" if the Scuderia manages to finish the season within the top three of the Drivers' Championship. The seven‑time world champion urged fans and pundits to focus on the positive aspects of the team’s performance, despite a string of recent setbacks that have clouded the outlook. The optimism comes at a time when both Hamilton and Ferrari’s hopes of challenging for the world title have dwindled. The Briton has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, and the team’s early‑season promise has been eroded by a series of operational missteps and strategic blunders.
Hamilton’s fortunes took a sharp turn at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, where he suffered his first retirement of the year. The retirement dropped him more than 100 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, marking the first time this season that Hamilton fell out of the top‑two positions in the standings. Antonelli now leads the Drivers' Championship by 81 points over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, while Hamilton trails the Italian by a further 20 points. When asked about his own title chances ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a 23‑race calendar – Hamilton replied with a mixture of realism and determination.
"Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me," the champion said, referring to Antonelli’s lead. "In just two races he gained something like 40‑odd points on me, and we’ve been working so hard to gain a couple of points here and there. There’s still a long way to go.
If we can hold onto second place – or even catch Mercedes in the Constructors' battle – that would be remarkable." Hamilton stressed the importance of perspective. "We have to think about where we were last year and where we are now.
It sometimes feels like doom and gloom, but you have to look at the positives," he explained. The Scuderia endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' standings, while Hamilton endured a personally challenging year in the red, failing to secure a podium for the first time in his illustrious career. Nevertheless, the season has not been without highlights. Ferrari secured a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, and Charles Leclerc followed up with a win at Silverstone two races later.
Hamilton highlighted these successes as evidence of the team’s potential. "We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, and the team has done an incredible job bringing upgrades. You have to acknowledge the good things we’ve done this year.
I know many people focus on the negatives, but if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him – which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders – staying in the top three, even second, would be a huge achievement for us as a team." Hamilton currently sits 20 points behind Russell in the Drivers' standings. While Ferrari often shows competitive pace in the early stages of race weekends, recent results have been hampered by internal strategic errors and execution flaws. "There are positives to take from the last few races, but they haven’t been the best in terms of execution and we haven’t had the best results," Hamilton admitted.
"We take the positives forward, learn from the areas where we were weaker, and I believe we can improve – and we have. I’m excited for this weekend." The broader championship picture is equally compelling. Antonelli, who has won the last two Grands Prix, now boasts eight career victories in what has been described as an extraordinary second season in Formula 1. Russell, the pre‑season favorite, has been vocal about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars.
Yet he reported progress in Baku, stating, "I’ve been making very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again." He emphasized the need to maintain this momentum throughout the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027. Russell also addressed the technical evolution of the cars, noting that while the chassis and power units will see little change next year, tyre specifications may differ slightly.
"It’s important I continue to build on the improvements we’ve made since the summer break," he said. "The race pace, which was a weakness, has been substantially better and we’ve been in the mix every race since the break.
I now feel more comfortable that I can fight for great results." Despite effectively conceding the championship, Russell affirmed that his approach to each race weekend remains unchanged. "I’m going to keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible," he declared. "But it doesn’t change how I go about my job.
I want to try and win every race and take pole every race. That’s my goal. The performance gap is huge, but it’s not the only consideration right now; the priority is to keep improving." The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend is packed with action. Thursday’s schedule includes F2 practice, qualifying, and a team bosses’ press conference, followed by the F1 Show in the afternoon.
Friday features an F2 sprint, additional practice sessions, and the F2 Feature Race before the main qualifying session for the Grand Prix. Saturday will see the F2 Feature Race 2 and the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself, with the race scheduled for midday. Sunday’s program includes post‑race analysis and reaction segments.
For fans wanting to follow the action live, the race will be streamed on Sky Sports F1, with flexible viewing options available through the NOW service. The broadcaster encourages viewers to use the Chrome browser for the best video experience and offers a personal video feed via the Sky Sports app. In summary, Hamilton’s message to the Ferrari faithful is one of cautious optimism.
While the team’s title aspirations have faded, there is still room to celebrate significant achievements, such as securing a top‑three finish in the Constructors' standings or even challenging for second place. By focusing on the progress made, learning from past mistakes, and continuing to push for upgrades, Ferrari can still end the season on a high note, turning what many have labeled a bleak campaign into a story of resilience and incremental success.