Lewis Hamilton has taken a firm stance in defence of Ferrari's 2025 campaign, insisting that the team’s efforts can still be counted as a "huge achievement" if they manage to finish the season within the top three of the Drivers' Championship. He urged observers to shift their focus away from the negative headlines and instead recognise the positive strides the Scuderia has made, even as the season has been marked by a series of setbacks. The optimism expressed by Hamilton comes at a time when both his own title hopes and Ferrari's aspirations for the world championship have faded considerably.
The British seven‑time champion has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, and his recent retirement in Madrid—Ferrari’s first race‑ending incident of the year—saw him fall more than 100 points behind the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli. That gap marked the first occasion this season that Hamilton was more than a hundred points off the leader, effectively ending any realistic chance of claiming the drivers' crown.
Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, while Hamilton trails Russell by 20 points. When asked about his own prospects ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 15th round of a 23‑race calendar, Hamilton answered plainly: "He’s 101 points ahead of me.
In just two races he gained around 40 points, and we’ve been fighting for every single point we can get." He added that the remaining races still offered a long road ahead and that his primary aim was to retain second place in the Constructors' Championship, or at the very least keep Ferrari within the top three. "That would be remarkable," he said. Hamilton stressed the importance of perspective, reminding fans and pundits to compare the team's current position with where they were a year earlier.
"It can look doom‑and‑gloom, but you have to look at the positives," he explained. Despite a winless season in the constructors' standings and a drop to fourth place, Ferrari has managed to secure a few bright spots.
Hamilton himself celebrated his first victory of the year at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, while teammate Charles Leclerc claimed a win at Silverstone two races later. "We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, the team has done an incredible job bringing upgrades," Hamilton continued. "You really 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—though that would be very difficult because Mercedes are the leaders—finishing the season in the top three, even second, would be a huge achievement for us as a team." Ferrari’s performance has often been hampered by operational and strategic missteps that are within the team’s control.
Hamilton noted that while the squad has shown competitiveness in the early phases of race weekends, the execution on race day has not always lived up to that promise. "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," he said.
"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 narrative surrounding the championship is also shaped by the form of George Russell, who entered the season as a pre‑season favourite. Russell has been open about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars, but he believes his situation is improving. Speaking in Baku, he said, "I’ve been making very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again." He highlighted the need to maintain this momentum throughout the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027.
"It’s important I continue to build," Russell added, noting that while the chassis and power units will remain largely unchanged next year, tyre specifications may see slight variations. Although Russell has effectively removed himself from title contention, his approach to each race weekend remains unchanged. "I’m going to keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible," he asserted. "I want to try and win every race and put it on pole every race.
That’s my goal. The performance gap is the biggest priority, not the points deficit." The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises a packed schedule for fans, with a series of support events and practice sessions leading up to the main race. The weekend will feature Formula 2 practice, qualifying, and feature races, alongside the F1 team bosses' press conference and the main Grand Prix itself.
Sky Sports will broadcast the action live, and viewers can stream the coverage flexibly via the NOW platform, with no long‑term contract required. In summary, Hamilton’s defence of Ferrari is rooted in a realistic appraisal of the season’s highs and lows.
While the team has not lived up to the lofty expectations set at the start of the year, it has delivered wins, podiums, and significant technical progress. Hamilton believes that recognising these achievements, rather than dwelling on the shortcomings, provides a more balanced view of Ferrari’s campaign. As the championship enters its final third, both Hamilton and Ferrari will aim to convert the positives they have identified into tangible results, hoping to finish the year in the top three and cement what they consider a respectable, if not spectacular, performance in a highly competitive era of Formula 1.