Lewis Hamilton declares ‘time for change’ after ‘very draining year’

Lewis Hamilton has shared a message to his followers on social media, stating his gratitude for a post-season break after “a very draining year.”

Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari yielded no podiums in a Grand Prix across the season, a career first, though much of the focus at the Scuderia turned to its 2026 programme in the spring of 2025.

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Hamilton, who turns 41 on Wednesday (January 7th), shared some photos from a snowboarding holiday across the festive period, with the seven-time World Champion posting on social media to both reflect on the year and look ahead to the future.

Off the back of a second consecutive season of Formula 1 holding a record 24-race calendar, and with a shorter gap than ever between the final race of the year and the beginning of pre-season testing, drivers have been looking to disconnect as best they can before the action starts again.

Hamilton finished on the wrong end of the in-team statistics against Charles Leclerc in his first season as a Ferrari driver, but he is looking ahead by acknowledging the new year brings about its own new beginnings – saying “the time for change is now.”

“Another return,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram on his birthday.

“I’m incredibly grateful for this break. Time to disconnect, recharge and find a bit of inner peace. Time with family and friends replenishing with rest and good laughs has been everything I needed after a very draining year. In a world that moves so fast where we’re constantly being pulled in so many directions, truly disconnecting, and has been the most amazing feeling.

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“I’m conscious that we’re entering the Year of the Horse and leaving behind the Year of the Snake. The time for change is now. Starting new routines, leaving behind unwanted patterns and working on growth.

“Let go of things that don’t serve you. This can take time, there will be things you can’t get rid of immediately, but it starts with the first step. Even though the world can seem like a mess, I hope that you’re staying focused on living life to the fullest.

“Be you and never forget who you are. I learnt that from many of you who told me this in 2025, and I’ll never forget again! Your support means the world to me, and I’m here for you too. You are never alone. Let’s take it one day at a time, one step at a time.”

Ferrari will unveil the livery of its as-yet-publicly-unnamed 2026 challenger on Friday 23rd January, three days before the first on-track action of the season at a five-day private shakedown test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

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