Breaking: Lewis Hamilton issues fresh Ferrari plea after… Read more
Lewis Hamilton has vowed to stay determined and push forward with Ferrari despite enduring a rocky beginning to the 2025 Formula 1 season. The seven-time World Champion made his long-anticipated move from Mercedes to Ferrari over the winter, but his early results have fallen short of expectations, fueling speculation about his future in the sport.
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher recently added to the growing rumors, suggesting that Hamilton might consider retiring at the end of this season if improvements aren’t seen soon. However, Hamilton himself has been clear in his stance, reassuring fans and critics alike that he remains fully committed to succeeding with the iconic Italian team. “I’m not going to give up,” Hamilton declared firmly, signaling his intent to keep fighting through the current difficulties.
Hamilton’s start at Ferrari has been far from smooth. Over the first five races of the 2025 campaign, the 40-year-old has struggled to find the pace needed to challenge for podiums or victories, with his best finish so far being a fifth place. While he did achieve a moment of triumph by securing pole position and winning the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix last month, the celebrations were short-lived. In a blow to his momentum, Hamilton was later disqualified from the main race in Shanghai due to excessive skid-block wear, a technical infringement that cost him valuable points and confidence.
Since then, Hamilton’s situation has seemingly deteriorated further. The British driver recently revealed that Ferrari have been forced to run their car “higher than we would like” following the skid-block issues encountered in China. This necessary adjustment has compromised the car’s performance, making it even harder for Hamilton to match the pace of rivals — and even that of his own team-mate, Charles Leclerc.
The performance gap between Hamilton and Leclerc has been particularly evident in recent races. At the Grands Prix in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, Hamilton has consistently qualified at least three-tenths of a second slower than Leclerc. The trend continued last weekend in Jeddah, where Hamilton finished a massive 30.969 seconds adrift of the Monegasque driver, underlining the extent of his current struggles.
Despite these setbacks, Hamilton remains focused on the long-term project at Ferrari. He has stressed that adapting to a new team, a new car philosophy, and a different working environment was always going to take time. Ferrari, too, are keen to back Hamilton and are reportedly working tirelessly behind the scenes to make the car more competitive for him.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was heralded as one of the most sensational transfers in F1 history. Fans and experts alike hoped it would revive the fortunes of both the driver and the team, with Hamilton chasing a record-breaking eighth world title and Ferrari seeking to end their own title drought. However, the early season results have reminded everyone that success in Formula 1 is rarely instant, even for a driver of Hamilton’s caliber.
The 2025 season has proven challenging across the board for Ferrari. While Leclerc has occasionally shown flashes of competitiveness, Ferrari have generally struggled to match the outright pace of Red Bull and McLaren, leaving both drivers playing catch-up in the championship race.
With Hamilton turning 41 later this year, questions around his future will likely continue unless results improve. Still, the veteran racer has repeatedly emphasized his passion for the sport and his desire to achieve greatness with Ferrari. Retirement, he insists, is not currently on his mind.
Speaking after the Jeddah Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted that the performance gap to Leclerc was “frustrating” but reaffirmed his commitment to working through the challenges. “I believe in this team and what we’re building together,” he said. “There’s no quick fix in Formula 1, and I knew that when I made this move. It’s going to take time, but we’ll get there.”
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Hamilton and Ferrari to see whether they can close the gap to the front-runners. With many races still to come, there is ample opportunity for Hamilton to turn his fortunes around — but doing so will require overcoming significant hurdles, both technically and mentally.
For now, though, Lewis Hamilton remains defiant. His dream of success with Ferrari is very much alive, even as the path toward it proves more challenging than he might have anticipated.
