Lewis Hamilton makes key Ferrari confession as ‘pressure’ and ‘noise’ take a toll
Lewis Hamilton has had a muted start to his Ferrari career
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that the “pressure” and “noise” surrounding Ferrari has affected his enjoyment during the F1 2025 season.
And he has called for both himself and the team to start “remembering that we love what we do” ahead of the final 10 races.
Will Lewis Hamilton finally crack the Ferrari code as F1 2025 resumes?
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Hamilton has had an underwhelming season since his high-profile move from Mercedes last winter, failing to register a podium finish across his first 14 appearances for Ferrari.
His year slumped to a new low at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, where he could only manage 12th on the grid as team-mate Charles Leclerc claimed Ferrari’s first pole position of F1 2025.
After repeatedly referring to himself as “useless”, Hamilton suggested that Ferrari should consider replacing him.
Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Ferrari head-to-head scores for F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
The seven-time World Champion also hinted at potential trouble behind the scenes at Maranello, adding: “There’s a lot going on in the background that’s not great.”
Hamilton played down suggestions that he could walk away from Ferrari and F1 earlier this week, insisting: “We have to keep going, even when it’s difficult.”
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton confessed that the weight of expectation has affected his enjoyment of F1 this season – and vowed to get back to basics as the campaign resumes at Zandvoort.
Asked if he is ready to turn over a new leaf at the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “I feel determined to and motivated to, yes.
“We’re going to work hard, keep our heads down, try to change a few things in our approach and start to enjoy ourselves.
“It’s been so much pressure in this first half of the season and it’s not been the most enjoyable.
“So I think just remembering that we love what we do, we’re all in this together and I’m trying to have some fun.
“I think, ultimately, just to get on top of everything, the amount of work we have, all the new partners, the amount of [photo] shoots we’ve done, getting integrated into a new team – and it’s a big, big team.
“It’s also the biggest brand in our sport as well. So with a combination of all those different things, it’s been a lot.”
Hamilton described his move to Ferrari as the realisation of a boyhood dream upon his arrival at Maranello in January.
However, reality has failed to match the off-track hype with the seven-time World Champion trailing Leclerc by 42 points with 10 races remaining.
Asked how hard it has been to have fun this season, Hamilton said: “I think it’s probably the most important part, because that’s the reason I got into the sport. It was fun for me.
“And I think for anyone, whatever career you’re in, if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then why are you doing it?
“There can often be so much noise you can lose sight of what’s really, really important.
“So that’s what I’m saying: I just really want to focus on getting back to that enjoyment.
“I’ve joined the team that I’ve always dreamed of driving for and and there’s been so much noise around that it’s 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.”
More on Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari from PlanetF1.com
Hamilton’s comments come after George Russell, his team-mate at Mercedes between 2022 and 2024, dismissed the Ferrari driver’s suggestions that he is “useless.”
Russell pointed to Hamilton’s pole-to-flag victory in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race at the start of this season as evidence that he has “clearly still got it”, arguing that Hamilton’s remarks in Hungary were made with emotion following a bad result.
Russell told media including PlanetF1.com: “Of course he’s talking nonsense when he says something like that because he’s the greatest driver of all time, I think.
“A situation like that, when you go from the racetrack and you’re in front of the media within 10 minutes, you have all of these emotions.
“When you have a bad day, that’s how you feel. When you have a good day, everything changes.
“He’s still an exceptional driver. We saw it.
“He obviously won the Sprint straight away at the start of the year in China. He’s clearly still got it.
“But Formula 1 is not an easy sport, and especially if the team is not performing at the highest level, that compounds the issue.
“And of course Charles is an amazing driver too.”
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