Lewis Hamilton has taken a surprisingly upbeat stance on Ferrari's 2025 campaign, insisting that a top‑three finish in the Drivers' Championship would still qualify the season as a "huge achievement" and urging detractors to focus on the positives rather than the setbacks. The British champion, who has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, sees his own title hopes slipping away as Ferrari’s chances of clinching the world title have dwindled. A race‑ending retirement in Madrid left Hamilton, who was third in the standings, more than 100 points behind the championship leader Kimi Antonelli, effectively ending his bid for the crown.
Antonelli now commands an 81‑point lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, and the points gap to Hamilton has widened to 101 after just two rounds in Baku. When asked about his own prospects ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th event of a 23‑round calendar – Hamilton replied, "Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me.
In two races he gained about 40 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 my focus is on holding onto second place – or at least staying close to Mercedes in the Constructors' fight – which would be remarkable." He added that the narrative of "doom and gloom" surrounding Ferrari should be tempered by a look at the progress made. "If you compare where we were last year with where we are now, you’ll see a lot of improvement.
It sometimes feels bleak, but you have to recognise the positives," Hamilton said. Ferrari endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship, while Hamilton experienced his first year in red without a podium finish.
The tide turned briefly when Charles Leclerc captured victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, followed by a win at Silverstone two races later. Hamilton highlighted those moments, noting, "We’ve fought, we’ve secured wins and podiums, and the team has delivered impressive upgrades. You have to acknowledge the good work we’ve done this year.
Many people only focus on the negatives, but if I can battle George and maybe even out‑score him – which is tough because Mercedes are leading – staying in the top three, even second, would be a massive achievement for the team." Currently, Hamilton sits 20 points behind Russell in the drivers' standings. He pointed out that Ferrari often shows strong pace in qualifying and early race phases, but strategic missteps and operational errors have hampered results. "There are positives to take from the last few races, but the execution hasn't been the best, and the outcomes reflect that," he explained.
"We learn from the areas where we fell short, make improvements, and 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, bringing his career total to eight victories in just his second season – an extraordinary achievement. Russell, the pre‑season favourite, has spoken candidly about adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars.
He told reporters in Baku that he has made "very good progress" and feels confident about fighting for victories again. He stressed the importance of maintaining that momentum through the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027. "It’s crucial to resolve the issues we identified earlier.
Since the summer break, I’ve been pleased with the progress," Russell said. "Race pace, which was a weakness, has improved markedly and we’ve been competitive in every race since the break. I feel more comfortable fighting for strong results. From now until the end of the season we’ll see how the points fall, but next year will be similar – the chassis and power units won’t change much, perhaps only the tyres will differ slightly.
So I need to keep building." Although he has effectively ruled himself out of the title fight, Russell affirmed that his approach to each 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 weekend. That’s my goal. The deficit is huge, but it’s not the main consideration right now; performance is." Beyond the on‑track drama, the weekend schedule is packed with support series and broadcast events.
Thursday, 24 September, begins with F2 practice at 9:00 am, followed by F2 qualifying, a team bosses’ press conference, and the second F2 practice session. The F1 Show airs at 2:15 pm. Friday, 25 September, features the F2 sprint, the third F2 practice, the F2 Feature Race 1, and the build‑up to Azerbaijan GP qualifying, which takes place at 1:00 pm, followed by Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm. Saturday, 26 September, includes the second F2 feature race, the Grand Prix build‑up, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix itself at midday, post‑race reaction at 2:00 pm, and another edition of Ted’s Notebook at 3:00 pm.
All sessions are also streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event. For fans wishing to watch, Sky Sports offers flexible streaming through the NOW platform, with no contract required and the ability to cancel at any time.
The service recommends using the Chrome browser for the best video player experience. This coverage ensures that viewers can follow the intense battles on the Baku street circuit, track the evolving championship narratives, and witness whether Hamilton and Ferrari can turn the tide and finish the season on a high note despite the challenges they have faced.