Lewis Hamilton insists that Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can still be hailed as a "huge achievement" if the Scuderia manages to finish within the top three of the Drivers' Championship, urging observers to focus on the positives despite a series of recent setbacks. The British seven‑time world champion, who has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, acknowledges that both his own title hopes and Ferrari’s chances of clinching the Constructors' title have faded in recent weeks.

The turning point came at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, where Hamilton suffered his first retirement of the season. That single DNF dropped him more than 100 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, marking the first time this year that the gap between them exceeded a century of points.

Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point advantage over his teammate George Russell at Mercedes, further widening the gulf between the frontrunners and the rest of the field. When asked about his personal championship prospects ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a 23‑race calendar – Hamilton replied with a mixture of realism and optimism. "Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me," he said, referencing Antonelli’s lead. "In just two races he gained about 40‑odd points on me, and we’ve been working so hard to claw back a few points here and there.

There’s still a long way to go, and I think the focus for me is, if we can hold on to second – if not somehow catch Mercedes – for the constructors', I think that would be remarkable." Hamilton went on to stress the importance of perspective. "I think it’s also just having to think about where we were last year and where we’ve come to this year and whilst it sometimes seems doom and gloom, you actually have to look at the positives," he explained. He reminded listeners that Ferrari endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' standings, while his own first year in the iconic red livery had been unusually barren – he had not secured a podium until his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, followed by Charles Leclerc’s win at Silverstone two races later.

"We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, the team have done an incredible job in terms of bringing upgrades, so you really have to acknowledge the good things that we’ve done this year," Hamilton added. "I know lots of people focus on the negatives. For me, again, if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him, which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders… if at the end of the year, managing to stay in the top three, even second, I think would be a huge achievement for us as a team." Currently Hamilton sits 20 points behind Russell in the drivers' tally, a gap that reflects both the strength of the Mercedes duo and the strategic missteps that have plagued Ferrari in recent weeks. While the Scuderia often shows speed in qualifying and early race phases, operational errors, pit‑stop delays and sub‑optimal race strategies have repeatedly eroded their potential results.

"I think there are positives to take out of the last few races, it’s just they haven’t been, I would say, the best in terms of execution and we’ve not had the best results," Hamilton said. "But the positives we take forwards and we try and learn from the areas we weren’t as good. I believe we can make improvements and I think we have. I’m excited for this weekend." The narrative around the championship is also shaped by Antonelli’s meteoric rise.

The young driver has won the last two grands prix, bringing his career total to eight victories in just his second full season – an extraordinary feat that underscores his dominance. Meanwhile, Russell, who entered the year as the pre‑season favourite, has been vocal about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the all‑new 2026 cars.

In Baku, he told reporters, "I’ve been making very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again." He emphasized the need to maintain this momentum through the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027. Russell also highlighted the improvements in race pace, which he described as a former weakness that has now become a strength. "The race pace has been substantially better and has been in the mix every single race since the break," he noted. "I now feel more comfortable that I can fight for great results.

Let’s see from now until the end of the season how the points could fall out. Next year will be pretty similar – not much has changed with the chassis or the power units, maybe the tyres will be slightly different. It’s important I continue to build." Even though Russell has effectively ruled himself out of the title fight, his approach to each weekend remains unchanged.

"I’m going to keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible," he asserted. "But it doesn’t change how I go about my job. I want to try and win every single race and put it on pole every single race. That’s my goal.

That’s what I’m working towards every single weekend, and what happens thereafter will be. There’s obviously a huge deficit, but it’s not even a consideration right now – performance is the biggest priority." The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend is packed with supporting events, including F2 practice sessions, qualifying, and feature races, all of which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.

The schedule begins early on Thursday morning with F2 practice, followed by a press conference, and continues through Friday and Saturday with a mix of F2 sprint races, F1 practice, qualifying, and the main Grand Prix itself. Fans can stream the action flexibly via the Sky Sports app, with a recommendation to use the Chrome browser for the best video experience.

In summary, Hamilton’s message to critics is clear: despite a season that has often felt like a series of setbacks, the combination of Ferrari’s technical progress, occasional race wins, and the resilience of its drivers means that finishing in the top three of the Drivers' Championship would still represent a remarkable achievement. By concentrating on the incremental improvements and the moments of success, Hamilton believes the team can turn a narrative of gloom into one of cautious optimism as the championship heads into its decisive second half.