Lewis Hamilton has publicly defended Ferrari’s 2025 campaign, insisting that the team’s efforts can still be regarded as a "huge achievement" if they manage to finish the season inside the top three of the Drivers' Championship. He urged detractors to focus on the positives rather than dwell on the setbacks that have plagued the Scuderia in recent weeks.
The optimism comes at a time when both Hamilton and Ferrari’s hopes of contending for the world title have dwindled. The seven‑time champion has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, and a first‑race retirement in Madrid saw him fall more than 100 points behind the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, for the first time this season. Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
When asked about his own championship chances ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a scheduled 23‑race calendar – Hamilton answered candidly: "Well, I mean, he's 101 points ahead of me. In just two races he gained about 40 points on me, and we’ve been working 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, if possible, catching Mercedes – in the constructors' standings.
That 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. It may sometimes feel like doom and gloom, but you have to look at the positives." Ferrari endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship. Hamilton’s first year in the red livery has been particularly challenging, as he has yet to achieve a podium finish – a first in his illustrious career.
Nevertheless, the team secured a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, and Charles Leclerc followed with a win at Silverstone two races later. Hamilton added, "We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, and the team have done an incredible job bringing upgrades.
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 – which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders – staying 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 speed in qualifying and early race phases, operational and strategic missteps have often undermined their results. "There are positives to take from the last few races, but the execution hasn’t been the best and the results suffered," Hamilton said.
"We’ll learn from the areas where we weren’t as good, make improvements – and I believe we have – and I’m excited for this weekend." The Spanish Grand Prix also saw Russell fall a season‑high margin 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 spoken openly about the difficulty of adapting his natural driving style to the brand‑new 2026 cars. Yet he remains optimistic, telling reporters in Baku that he has "made very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again." He emphasized the need to maintain that momentum throughout the remainder of the season, especially as the sport heads into a relatively stable regulatory period heading into 2027. "It’s important to resolve the issues we’ve identified.
Since the summer break the race pace, which was a weakness, has improved dramatically and we’ve been in the mix every race. I feel more comfortable that I can fight 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’ll keep building on this progress," Russell explained.
Although Russell has effectively ruled himself out of the title fight, he insists his approach to each weekend remains unchanged. "I’m going to keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible," he said.
"That doesn’t change how I do my job. I want to win every race and take pole in every race – that’s my goal.
The huge points deficit is there, but it’s not the focus right now; performance is the priority." The upcoming Azerbaijan weekend features a packed schedule: practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, a sprint race, qualifying, and the main Grand Prix on Saturday, all broadcast live on Sky Sports. Hamilton’s message to fans and critics alike is clear: while the season may have felt bleak at times, the team’s resilience, upgrades, and occasional triumphs deserve recognition. If Ferrari can finish the year in the top three of the Drivers' Championship, or even secure second place in the Constructors' standings, Hamilton believes that would constitute a remarkable achievement given the challenges they have faced. In summary, Hamilton urges a balanced view of Ferrari’s 2025 campaign – one that acknowledges both the setbacks and the strides made – and encourages supporters to celebrate the positives as the team pushes forward into the final stretch of the season.