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 detractors to focus on the positives rather than the setbacks that have dominated recent headlines. Hamilton, who has not stood on the podium since the British Grand Prix in early July, acknowledges that the team’s title hopes have faded, but he remains convinced that the season holds merit if the overall performance improves.
The former seven‑time world champion suffered his first retirement of the year in Madrid, dropping from third place to more than 100 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. That gap marked the first time this season Hamilton fell more than a hundred points short of the leader, effectively conceding the title race.
Antonelli now enjoys an 81‑point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, underscoring the widening margin at the top of the standings. When asked about his own championship prospects ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – the 15th round of a 23‑race calendar – Hamilton replied, "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 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' championship, that would be remarkable." Hamilton stressed the importance of perspective: "You have to think about where we were last year and where we are now.
While it sometimes feels like doom and gloom, you really have to look at the positives." He reminded listeners that Ferrari endured a winless 2025 season and slipped to fourth in the Constructors' standings, while his own tenure in the red shirt has been unusually barren, with no podium finishes until his surprise victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. That win, followed by Charles Leclerc’s triumph at Silverstone, demonstrated that the team still possesses race‑winning potential. "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 said.
"I know lots of people focus on the negatives. For me, if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him – which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders – and at the end of the year we stay in the top three, even second, I think that would be a huge achievement for us as a team." Currently Hamilton sits 20 points behind Russell in the drivers' table. He noted that Ferrari often shows competitive speed in qualifying and early race phases, but recent results have been hampered by strategic missteps and operational errors that are within the team's control. "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 admitted.
"We take the positives forward, learn from the areas where we were weaker, and I believe we can make improvements – and I think we have. I'm excited for this weekend." The Spanish Grand Prix also highlighted the growing gap between Russell and Antonelli, who has claimed victory in the last two races, bringing his career total to eight wins in an extraordinary sophomore F1 season.
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. Yet he remains optimistic, stating in Baku that he has made "very good progress" and feels confident he can fight for victories again.
He emphasized the need to sustain this progress throughout the remainder of the season and into the relatively stable regulatory environment expected for 2027. "It's very important to resolve some issues, and I've been pleased with the progress since the summer break," Russell explained. "The race pace, which was a weakness, has improved substantially and has been competitive in 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." Although Russell has effectively ruled himself out of the championship hunt, his approach to each weekend remains unchanged.
"I'm going to keep fighting every single race until it's mathematically impossible," he affirmed. "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 weekend, and what happens thereafter will be what it will be. There's obviously a huge deficit, but it's not even a consideration right now – performance is the biggest priority." The race weekend schedule is packed with supporting events. On Thursday, September 24, F2 practice begins at 9:00 am, followed by qualifying, a team bosses' press conference, and the start of the Azerbaijan GP practice sessions.
Friday sees the F2 sprint, further practice, the F2 feature race, and the build‑up to the Azerbaijan GP qualifying. Saturday culminates with the F2 feature race, the Grand Prix itself, and post‑race analysis, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
Fans can stream Sky Sports flexibly via the NOW platform, with a Chrome browser recommended for the optimal video player experience. In summary, Hamilton’s message is clear: despite a season that has been marred by retirements, strategic blunders, and a widening points deficit, there are still tangible achievements to celebrate.
Maintaining a top‑three finish in the Drivers' Championship, securing a strong Constructors' position, and building on the technical upgrades introduced throughout the year are all milestones that Hamilton believes merit recognition. As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix approaches, both he and the Ferrari team are eager to translate those positives into concrete results, hoping to end the year on a high note and lay a solid foundation for the upcoming 2026 season.