Lewis Hamilton insists that Ferrari’s 2025 campaign can still be regarded as a "significant achievement" if the Scuderia manages to finish within the top three of the Drivers' Championship, urging detractors to focus on the season's bright spots despite a series of recent setbacks. The prospect of Hamilton and Ferrari clinching the world title has all but vanished after a string of disappointing races. The seven‑time world champion has not stood on a podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, and his hopes of challenging for the championship have dwindled.
A further blow came at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, where Hamilton suffered his first retirement of the year. The result left him more than 100 points behind the points leader, Kimi Antonelli, marking the first time this season that the gap between them exceeded a century of points. Antonelli now leads the standings by 81 points over his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. When asked about his own title chances 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.
In just two races he gained roughly 40 points on me, and we've been working tirelessly to claw back a few points here and there. There's still a long way to go. My focus is to hold onto second place – or, if possible, to overtake Mercedes in the Constructors' standings – which would be remarkable." He went on to stress the importance of perspective: "We have to think about where we were last year and where we are now. While the narrative often sounds doom‑and‑gloom, you have to look at the positives." Ferrari endured a winless season in 2025 and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship.
Hamilton’s first year in the red car proved challenging, as he failed to reach the podium for the first time in his career. Nevertheless, the team did secure a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, and Charles Leclerc added another win at Silverstone two races later. Hamilton highlighted the progress the team has made: "We've been fighting, we've had wins and podiums, and the team has done an incredible job bringing upgrades.
You really have to acknowledge the good things we've accomplished this year. I know many people focus on the negatives, but if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him – which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders – then finishing the season 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 competitiveness during practice and qualifying sessions, strategic errors and operational missteps have often undermined their race results. "There are positives to take from the last few races, but they haven't been the best in terms of execution, and the results reflect that," Hamilton said.
"We take the positives forward, learn from the areas where we were weaker, and I believe we can improve – and we have. I'm excited for this weekend." The recent Spanish Grand Prix also saw Russell fall further behind Antonelli, who has now won the last two Grands Prix, bringing his total to eight victories in what has been an extraordinary second season in Formula 1. Russell, who entered the year as the pre‑season favourite, has been open about the challenges of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism in Baku, stating, "I've been making very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again." He emphasized the need to maintain this momentum throughout the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027.
"It's crucial to resolve lingering issues – I've been pleased with the progress since the summer break," Russell added. "The race pace, which was a weakness, has improved significantly and we’ve been in the mix at every race since the break. I now feel more comfortable that I can fight for great results.
Let's see how the points fall from now 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 it’s important I continue to build on this." Although he has effectively ruled himself out of the championship hunt, Russell affirmed that his approach to each weekend remains unchanged: "I'm going to keep fighting every single race until it's mathematically impossible. That doesn't change how I do my job. I want to win every race and take pole at every race.
That's my goal. That's what I'm working towards each weekend, and whatever happens after that will be what it will be.
The deficit is huge, but it's not the primary consideration right now – performance is." The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend is packed with action, featuring multiple Formula 2 sessions alongside the main F1 events. The schedule includes practice sessions on Thursday morning, F2 qualifying, a team bosses' press conference, and further practice on Friday and Saturday, culminating in the Grand Prix itself and post‑race analysis.
All of this will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via the Sky Sports app and NOW, offering flexible, contract‑free viewing. In summary, while the narrative surrounding Ferrari and Hamilton this season has often leaned toward pessimism, both the driver and the team see a clear path to redemption.
By capitalising on their strengths, learning from past mistakes, and maintaining a relentless work ethic, they aim to finish the year among the sport's elite – a goal that, in Hamilton’s view, would represent a "huge achievement" for the Scuderia despite the challenges faced along the way.