Lewis Hamilton is intensifying efforts to revive Ferrari’s fortunes in Formula 1 by submitting detailed proposals to the team following the British Grand Prix. Since joining Ferrari for the 2025 season, Hamilton’s collaboration has not yet produced podium finishes beyond consistent fourth places, but he is committed to steering the team towards championship success.
During the three-week hiatus between the Silverstone and Spa races, Hamilton leveraged his time to advocate for crucial improvements, making multiple trips to Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters. His meetings extended beyond the F1 crew to include Ferrari’s chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna, demonstrating his influence beyond the cockpit. Ahead of his visits, Hamilton sent two comprehensive documents outlining both car upgrades and organizational changes designed to bolster team performance.
This marks his second time providing formal written feedback this season, having presented a similar set of recommendations after the initial races. His involvement reflects a detailed and hands-on approach aimed at fostering real change within the team’s technical and managerial operations.
I was at the factory a couple of days each week,
Hamilton explained.
We did preparations and naturally going over where we were in the previous race, the things that we needed to change. I held a lot of meetings. So I’ve called on lots of lots of meetings with the heads of the team, so I’ve sat with John, Benedetto, and Fred [Vasseur] in several meetings. I’ve sat with the head of our car development, with Loic [Serra], also the heads of different departments talking about engine for next year, talking about front suspension for next year, talking about rear suspension for next year, things that you want, issues that I have with this car. I’ve sent documents, so I’ve done through the year. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in, so then I come in and want to address those.
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
He added that his documents addressed two main themes: structural team adjustments required for improvement, and technical challenges related to the current car’s performance that must be resolved in future development cycles. This level of involvement highlights Hamilton’s focus on both immediate gains and next-generation competitiveness.
We tried the 2026 car for the first time and started work on that. 30 engineers come to the room and you sit in debrief with every single one of them. So big, big push and otherwise just training. Maybe a little bit too hard, bit heavy this weekend.
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
Confidence in Ferrari’s Capacity to Capture Championships
Hamilton expressed unwavering belief in Ferrari’s ability to win multiple championships, underlining his dedication to altering the trajectory that previous F1 champions at Ferrari experienced. Despite the team’s historic prestige, it has faced a long wait for drivers’ and constructors’ titles, last securing the drivers’ crown in 2007 and the constructors’ in 2008.
Reflecting on past Ferrari stars including Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, Hamilton is motivated to avoid replicating their near-misses. He views the team’s passion and infrastructure as enormous strengths, though acknowledges some areas require significant realignment to maximize effectiveness.
The reason for [preparing the documents] is that I see a huge amount of potential within this team,
Hamilton said.
The passion, nothing comes close to that. It is a huge organisation and there’s a lot of moving parts, and not all of them are firing on all the cylinders that need to be. That’s ultimately why the team’s not had the success that I think it deserves.
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
He emphasized his role in questioning every element of the team’s operation, especially at senior decision-making levels, to unlock the full potential of Ferrari’s machinery and personnel. Hamilton cited the example of previous drivers—Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel—who each brought world championship pedigree but ultimately did not secure further titles with Ferrari, except Räikkönen’s 2007 victory.
I feel that it’s my job to challenge absolutely every area, to challenge everybody in the team, particularly the guys that are at the top who are making the decisions. If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they’ve had amazing drivers. You’ve had Kimi [Raikkonen], you’ve had Fernando, you’ve had Sebastian, all world champions. However, they didn’t win a world championship [with Ferrari, except Raikkonen]. And for me I refuse for that to be the case with me
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
Drawing from his experience at McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton highlighted the necessity of evolving Ferrari’s culture and approach to performance. He reiterated his commitment to pushing boundaries to generate better outcomes.
If you take the same path all the time, you get the same results. So I’m just challenging certain things.
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
According to Hamilton, Ferrari has responded well to his feedback, showing substantial improvements across various areas ranging from marketing to engineering. He is focused on building supportive relationships within the organization to fuel collective progress and stated plainly that his goal is to win.
At 40 years old, Hamilton acknowledged the limited time remaining in his career to pursue an eighth world championship, which would cement his legacy as the most successful F1 driver ever. This sense of urgency heightens the intensity behind his efforts to help Ferrari reclaim its former glory.
I don’t have as much time as this one here [Kimi Antonelli], so it’s crunch time,
he said.
I truly believe in the potential of this team. I really, really believe that they can win multiple world championships moving forward. They already have an amazing legacy. But during my time, that’s my sole goal.
—Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Driver
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Lewis Hamilton vegan?
A. Race car driver Lewis Hamilton openly shares his passion for veganism. He also invests in companies focused on plant-based products.
