Lewis Hamilton insists that Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can still be celebrated as a major success if the team manages to finish the season within the top three of the Drivers' Championship. He urged observers to focus on the positive aspects of the year, despite a string of recent setbacks that have clouded the outfit's prospects. The dream of clinching the world title has all but evaporated for both Hamilton and Ferrari after a series of disappointing outings.
The British seven‑time champion has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, and a first‑race retirement in Madrid widened the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to more than 100 points. That result marked the first time this season that Hamilton fell over a hundred points behind the points leader. Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, putting the Italian driver firmly in control of the standings. When asked about his own title hopes ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a 23‑race calendar – Hamilton replied with a mixture of realism and optimism: "He's 101 points ahead of me.
In just two races he gained around 40 points, and we’ve been working hard to claw back a few points here and there. There’s still a long way to go. My focus is on holding onto second place – or, if possible, catching Mercedes – in the Constructors' Championship. That would be remarkable." Hamilton continued, "We have to compare where we were last year with where we are now.
It may look like doom and gloom, but you have to look at the positives." He highlighted that Ferrari endured a winless season in 2025 and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' standings, while his own first year in the red car has been the toughest of his career, with no podium finishes until his breakthrough win at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. Two races later, Charles Leclerc secured a victory at Silverstone, showing that the team can still produce race‑winning machinery.
"We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, and the team has done an incredible job bringing upgrades," Hamilton said. "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 the team." Currently, Hamilton sits 20 points behind Russell in the Drivers' standings.
He noted that Ferrari often looks competitive during practice and qualifying sessions, but operational and strategic errors have repeatedly undermined their race results. "There are positives in the last few races, but the execution hasn’t been the best, and the results reflect that," he explained. "We take those positives forward, learn from the areas where we fell short, and I believe we can improve.
I’m excited for this weekend." The Spanish Grand Prix also saw Russell fall further behind Antonelli, who has now won the last two Grands Prix, taking his career total to eight victories in just his second season – an extraordinary achievement in modern Formula 1. Russell, who entered the year as the pre‑season favourite, has spoken openly about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars. He told reporters in Baku that his progress has been solid and that he feels confident he can fight for victories again.
"It’s crucial to keep improving throughout the rest of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory period that extends into 2027," Russell said. "I’m pleased with the progress since the summer break.
The race pace, which was a weakness, has improved dramatically and we’ve been in the mix every race since then. I now feel comfortable fighting for great results. Let’s see how the points fall out until the end of the season.
Next year will be similar – the chassis and power units won’t change much, maybe the tyres will be slightly different – so I need to keep building." Even though he has effectively ruled himself out of the championship hunt, Russell affirmed that his approach to each race weekend remains unchanged. "I’ll keep fighting every race until it’s mathematically impossible," he declared. "That doesn’t change how I do my job.
I want to win every race and take pole every race – that’s my goal. The performance gap is huge, but it’s not the primary consideration right now; performance is the priority." The weekend schedule for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is packed with support series action. On Thursday, September 24, F2 practice begins at 9 am, followed by qualifying, a team bosses' press conference, and a second F2 practice session.
Friday features the F2 sprint, the third F2 practice, and the F2 Feature Race 1, leading into the F1 qualifying session at 1 pm. Saturday hosts the second F2 feature race and the Grand Prix itself, with the race slated for midday.
Sunday’s program includes post‑race analysis and reactions. All of these sessions will be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event, with the option to watch via the Sky Sports app or the NOW platform without a long‑term contract. Viewers are advised to use the Chrome browser for the best video player experience. In summary, Hamilton’s message is clear: despite a challenging year, Ferrari should be judged on its achievements and the progress it has made, not solely on its shortcomings.
By staying focused on improvement, learning from mistakes, and capitalising on the positives, the team can still finish the season on a high note and perhaps secure a top‑three finish that Hamilton and the fans can be proud of.