Lewis Hamilton has opened up about the immense pressure of his 2025 move to Ferrari F1.
He admits that the “noise” surrounding his transfer has made it difficult to enjoy the reality of driving for the Scuderia.
As we move to Zandvoort for the first race after the summer break, the seven-time world champion is seeking a hard reset after a poor first half of the 2025 season.
Despite moments of promise, like his sprint race victory in Shanghai, Hamilton has yet to stand on a GP podium for the team.
With all eyes on him, this is a stark contrast to teammate Charles Leclerc, who has secured five podium finishes thus far.
Hamilton’s comments before the summer break
The emotional toll peaked in Hungary just before the summer break.
After a qualifying session that saw Leclerc grab a pole position, Hamilton was eliminated in Q2.
The Brit suggested that Ferrari might be better off replacing him.
Speaking on Thursday, Hamilton reflected on the comments.
“It’s obviously not how I truly feel.
“Right now, it’s about calming some things down and just focusing on getting back to enjoying my job.
“I love this sport, I always have, that’s why I got into it. This is a great restart moment for us.”
Looking forward to Zandvoort
Lewis Hamilton reflected on the weight of expectation that has followed him since the move was announced.
“I felt determined to and motivated to,” Hamilton said, when asked if he was ready to turn over a new leaf for the final 10 races of the F1 2025 season.
“We’re going to work hard, keep our heads down, try to change a few things in our approach, and start to enjoy ourselves.
“There’s been so much pressure in this first half of the season that it’s not been the most enjoyable.”
The unique pressure of driving for Ferrari F1 in 2025, combined with Hamilton’s race-winning status, has led to a perfect storm of scrutiny.
“It’s remembering that we love what we do. We’re all in this together, and we’re trying to have some fun.
“I think it’s ultimately just to get on top of everything, the amount of work we have, all the new partners, the amount of shoots we’ve done.
“Getting integrated into a new team, and it’s a big, big team,” he said.
Unwinding throughout the summer break
Hamilton revealed he “unplugged” during the summer break, spending time with family and friends.
But he also used the time for introspection, focusing on how to rediscover the joy of racing, something he feels has been missing.
“I think it’s probably the most important part because that’s the reason I got into this sport,” Hamilton stated.
“It was fun for me… There can often be so much noise you can lose sight of what’s really important.”
Speaking candidly, he noted that the dream move has, at times, felt clouded by the drama and attention surrounding it.
“I’ve joined the team that I’ve always dreamed of driving for, and there’s been so much noise around that it’s kind of clouded us from getting to enjoy it.
“So now it’s about moving those things aside and just getting back to focusing on the pure love of what we do.”
Despite 2025’s struggles, Hamilton is a believer in the long-term project at Ferrari, noting that success doesn’t always come instantly.
“I never just got in and won,” he recalled, claiming he trusts in the team’s “potential” and is “looking forward to the sunnier days.”
Russell defends Hamilton’s capabilities
His former Mercedes teammate, George Russell, was quick to defend his capabilities, dismissing the comments Hamilton made about himself at the Hungarian GP.
“Of course, he’s talking nonsense when he says something like that, because he’s the greatest driver of all time,” Russell said.
“A situation like that… you have all of these emotions. He’s clearly still got it, but Formula 1 is not an easy sport.
“He’s still an exceptional driver. We saw it. He obviously won the sprint straight away at the start of the year in China.
“If the team is not performing at the highest level, that compounds the issue.
“I think right now, 14 races down, probably every driver bar two are looking forward to 2026 for a fresh opportunity to fight for a championship.
“And for someone like Lewis, that’s what he sort of lives for – not just getting in the points.”
