After a difficult maiden season with Ferrari following his high-profile move from Mercedes ahead of the 2025 campaign, the seven-time world champion has rediscovered consistency and confidence in his second year wearing red.
The turnaround has been steady rather than sudden. A breakthrough podium in China in March was followed by two strong performances, with back-to-back second-place finishes in Canada and Monaco. Those results have lifted Hamilton to second in the Drivers’ Championship, although he remains 66 points behind runaway leader Kimi Antonelli, who has dominated the season driving for Mercedes.
Asked how close he feels to that elusive first Ferrari win, Hamilton was clear about the momentum building around him:
“I mean, it couldn’t be closer.
“But it’s still 66 points. I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that.”
Antonelli’s rise adds new pressure at the front
Antonelli’s emergence has been one of the defining storylines of the season. The 19-year-old Italian, now firmly established at Mercedes, has stepped seamlessly into the environment once shaped by Hamilton’s era of dominance, working alongside long-time Mercedes leadership including team principal Toto Wolff and race engineer Peter Bonnington.
Hamilton was generous in his assessment of the teenager’s rapid rise, saying:
“He is doing a phenomenal job. He’s got an amazing team around him with Bono, with Toto and the whole team. And I’m really happy to see them doing what they do best. And then for him in this moment to be delivering on the level that he’s delivering at, it’s awesome to see.”
He added that Antonelli’s performances are pushing the entire field higher:
“It just encourages me to want to level up, and I think encourages everybody wanting to level up. And he’s only 19, so just imagine what the future holds for him.
“But I’m going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year.”
Reflecting on the younger generation sharing the podium, Hamilton noted:
“Very much kind of remind me of me when I was back in 2007.”
“I’m having to remind people who I am” — Hamilton reasserts identity
Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari was marked by inconsistency and speculation about his long-term future in Formula 1. But recent results have shifted the tone, particularly after his strong showing in Monaco, a circuit where he had previously struggled to reach the podium across multiple appearances.
He described the significance of back-to-back second places:
“To have two seconds, especially I think with a good race in Montreal, and everyone was kind of like, ‘yeah, but he’s quick there’.
“I feel like I’m in a period where I’m having to remind people of who I am, and I think my fans last year were telling me to remind me of who I am, and now I’m having to show up each weekend and try to do that.”
Despite earlier doubts circulating about his future, Hamilton has recently made it clear he is not considering stepping away any time soon, instead framing his current run as a resurgence.
He also highlighted the renewed belief within Ferrari’s camp:
“I think it’s great to see that it’s like a rejuvenated love in the team, and I think their belief also in me and the decision in hiring me and everything. So, I’m very happy.”
“Vasseur made changes I was begging for” — internal changes paying off
Behind the improved performances, Hamilton pointed to structural and operational changes within Ferrari as a key factor in their upward trajectory, praising team principal Fred Vasseur for responding to early feedback during a challenging first season.
“I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred,” he said.
“Fred has been awesome in supporting me. I think last year was really tough for both of us and [I’ve been] begging him for certain changes, and he pulled through and he did those, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them.”
Looking ahead, Hamilton stressed that the championship fight remains wide open, even with Mercedes setting the pace.
“It’s actually easier to chase than it is to defend, I would say, in life.
“And so, whilst these guys are very quick and they’re an amazing team, we’re going to keep pushing, keep chasing, and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.”
Next stop: Spain
Formula 1 now heads to Barcelona for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with the championship battle continuing to intensify as Hamilton attempts to convert his resurgence into a long-awaited Ferrari victory.