Lewis Hamilton has taken a moment to reflect on his time at Ferrari so far, admitting it feels like his “most intense” season in F1 to date – but one that leaves him with no doubt the legendary team possess all they need to win titles again.
Hamilton made his blockbuster move from Mercedes to Ferrari over the winter, with the Briton hoping to bag an eighth F1 Drivers’ Championship and help the Scuderia claim their first title since winning the 2008 Teams’ Championship.
It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 40-year-old since then, with highs including a Sprint pole position and victory in China, and lows including a painful Hungary weekend on which Hamilton described himself as “absolutely useless”.
Speaking before hitting the track at the Hungaroring, however, Hamilton told media that there are plenty of reasons for Ferrari fans to be optimistic about the squad’s future.
“The team has every ingredient that they need to win World Championships,” Hamilton insisted, when asked what notes he has been giving Ferrari since his arrival.
“It’s literally just about getting things all aligned and running smoothly and freely, stress-free, which we’re all trying to do.”
Hamilton then opened up on how that process has been going in what marks his 19th season as an F1 driver – and why the summer break will be an important reset for both himself and Ferrari.
“This [season] has definitely been the most intense one, I would say, just from a work perspective,” he said. “Integrating into a new culture, a new team, it’s not gone smoothly in all areas, and it’s been a real battle.
“I definitely need to get away and recharge, be around the kids and laugh. I’m sure there will be some tears at some point, and I think that’s really healthy.
“But I’m always excited to race. I love what I do, I love being in red, I love working with this team, and I have such belief in this team.
“It’s really hard to explain. I already had it a lot with my previous team. Over time you really build that camaraderie, and I see the passion in this team and I love it. All I want to do is contribute the best that I can.
“Of course, I need to do most of that on track and I’m not always hitting that, but also in the background I see there’s things that we can always improve, and there’s things that I can improve.
“I’m just really excited for this break. I think for everybody, particularly the guys at the factory, they’ll definitely enjoy this time with their family and we’ll come back extra energised for the second half.”
Hamilton holds sixth position in the Drivers’ Standings after 14 of 24 rounds in 2025, one spot behind team mate Charles Leclerc, while their collective efforts have put Ferrari second to reigning World Champions McLaren in the Teams’ battle.
