Lewis Hamilton insists that Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can still be hailed as a "huge achievement" if the team manages to finish the season inside the top three of the Drivers' Championship. He urged pundits and fans alike to focus on the positives that have emerged over the course of a challenging year, rather than dwelling on the setbacks that have dominated headlines.
The former seven‑time world champion and his Scuderia Ferrari partnership have seen their title hopes dwindle after a string of recent races in which Hamilton has failed to reach the podium. The last time he stood on the podium was at the British Grand Prix in early July, and since then the British driver has struggled to match the pace of the leading cars.
A particularly painful moment arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, where Hamilton suffered his first retirement of the season. The retirement dropped him more than 100 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, marking the first time this year that the points gap between the two exceeded a century. Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, leaving Hamilton effectively out of contention for the drivers' title.
When asked about his own championship aspirations ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a scheduled 23‑race calendar – Hamilton responded with a mixture of realism and optimism. "Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me," he said, acknowledging the size of the deficit. "In just two races he gained something like 40‑odd points on me, and we've been working so hard to pick up a couple of points here and there.
There is still a long way to go. My focus now is to hold on to second place – or at least to keep Mercedes in the hunt for the constructors' title. That would be remarkable." Hamilton went on to stress the importance of perspective.
"We have to think about where we were last year and where we are now. It can look doom‑and‑gloom at times, but you have to look at the positives," he explained. Ferrari endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship, while Hamilton endured his first year in the iconic red livery without a single podium finish – a first in his illustrious career. The season was not without highlights, however.
Hamilton secured a surprise victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, and teammate Charles Leclerc followed that up with a win at Silverstone two races later. Those successes, Hamilton argued, demonstrate that the team is capable of delivering when the car and strategy click.
"We've been fighting, we've had wins and podiums, and the team has done an incredible job bringing upgrades," Hamilton said. "You really have to acknowledge the good things we have achieved this year. Many people focus on the negatives, but if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him – which would be very difficult because Mercedes are the leaders – staying in the top three, even second, would be a huge achievement for us as a team." Currently Hamilton sits 20 points behind Russell in the drivers' standings.
While Ferrari has shown flashes of speed during qualifying and early race phases, operational and strategic missteps have often cost them valuable points. "There are positives to take from the last few races, but the execution hasn't been the best and the results reflect that," Hamilton admitted. "We learn from the areas where we weren't as good, and I believe we can make improvements. I'm excited for this weekend." The broader context of the championship includes Kimi Antonelli's dominant form – he has won the last two Grands Prix, bringing his career tally to eight victories in just his second season, an extraordinary achievement in modern Formula 1.
Meanwhile, George Russell, who entered the year as the pre‑season favourite, has been vocal about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 regulations. He told the Baku press conference that he has made "very good progress" and feels confident about fighting for victories again.
Russell emphasized the need to maintain momentum throughout the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027. "It is very important to resolve the issues we identified. Since the summer break, I've been pleased with the progress," he said. "Race pace, which was a weakness, is now substantially better and we have been in the mix every race since the break.
I feel more comfortable that I can fight for great results." Even though Russell has effectively ruled himself out of the title battle, his approach to each weekend remains unchanged. "I will keep fighting every single race until it is mathematically impossible," he declared. "My goal is to win every race and take pole every race.
The performance gap is the biggest priority now, not the points deficit." The upcoming Azerbaijan weekend features a packed schedule, with practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself spread across three days. The event also includes support series such as Formula 2, with practice, qualifying, and feature races interwoven with the main Grand Prix timetable. Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1, with flexible streaming options available through the NOW platform – no contract, cancel anytime.
In summary, Hamilton’s message to critics is clear: while the season has been riddled with setbacks and the championship outlook appears bleak, the team’s resilience, the upgrades they have introduced, and the occasional flashes of brilliance warrant recognition. If Ferrari can finish the year within the top three of the Constructors' standings, or even secure a second‑place finish, Hamilton believes that would constitute a "huge achievement" for a team that has faced a difficult campaign.
The focus now shifts to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where both drivers and engineers will seek to turn those positives into tangible results and perhaps rewrite the narrative that has been dominated by gloom.