Lewis Hamilton’s ‘volatile’ feeling in Ferrari ‘emotional rollercoaster’

Lewis Hamilton admits that he was not prepared for such a “volatile” emotional journey so far as a Ferrari driver.

But, Hamilton does see light at the end of the tunnel, and stressed his continued motivation for a “positive uphill battle” ahead, believing Ferrari has the perfect personnel in place for that task.

Lewis Hamilton admits to ‘volatile’ Ferrari ’emotional rollercoaster’

Hamilton has struggled to make the impact he had hoped for since making his big-money move from Mercedes to Ferrari. He is still waiting for his first podium as a Ferrari driver, and is 42 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship.

Hamilton hit arguably a new low in Hungary, but there were reasons to be positive at the Dutch Grand Prix. Even if his race weekend ended with him finding the wall at Turn 3, Hamilton cut a far more positive figure, and was back on the pace of Leclerc.

Next up is this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, where Hamilton is preparing to head out to perform in front of the tifosi at Monza. This, will likely prove a fresh emotional spike in what has been an up and down experience for Hamilton in F1 2025.

That trend is likely to continue through into the weekend, as Hamilton will drop five places on the grid due to a yellow flag infringement at Zandvoort.

“Yeah, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster. What can I really say?” Hamilton began.

“Did I expect it to be as volatile in terms of the feeling? No, but that’s life, and I like to think that, even though we had a difficult Sunday, we’re coming out on the brighter end of the tunnel.

“I read something recently where it was saying, ‘there’s no point stressing about tomorrow, because it often puts shade on the current, on the present’, so I’m really trying not to worry about tomorrow.

“I’m really trying to be present, enjoy every moment, because this half of the season has gone by really quick. That’s my first half a season with this team, and there’s obviously a long way to go.

“But I don’t want to miss any of these special moments that we’re having, like, for example, like yesterday [in Milan], my first Monza in Ferrari in red. When I leave the garage tomorrow, it’s going to be incredibly special coming into this circuit.

“I just really reflect on when I was a kid watching Michael [Schumacher] winning here and now I get to have that opportunity, that experience of being on the receiving end of the tifosi, and I want to give them absolutely everything this weekend to get the best result for them, because the passion and the support they’ve given me in this team is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc head-to-head in F1 2025

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Asked if this has been the toughest season yet in his illustrious Formula 1 career, Hamilton added: “I don’t remember every single season, to be honest, so I don’t really want to compare it to others. I’m sure there have been plenty of seasons that have felt difficult.

“I remember 2009 was difficult. I remember 2010, 2011 wasn’t great. 2012 was a pivotal moment for me. Obviously 2022, 2023. So there’s been plenty of others that were just different. I was in a different place in my life. This one, really living the dream, moving to race with Ferrari.

“Of course, I had the whole of last year to think about it and try to prepare, but there are still things you couldn’t foresee. There’s been a lot of adjustment both from my side and the team’s side. They’ve really moved heaven and earth to accommodate me.”

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur recently suggested that he and Hamilton underestimated the challenge of his adaptation to Ferrari.

Hamilton made reference to that comment, but believes he has the perfect people in place at Ferrari to find brighter days ahead.

“Obviously, there are cultural differences,” Hamilton continued. “Fred made a comment that perhaps they underestimated me joining the team and the year we’ve been faced with in terms of the problems with the car. So yeah, a combination of all those things.

“But honestly, the harder it is, the better it can make you. This year has been tough for everyone in the team, but it prepares us for better days. We’ll be stronger having gone through this tough first six months.

“I’m really excited and motivated for a positive uphill battle from here, and I feel like I’ve got the best people around me to do that.”

Hamilton’s best opportunity to succeed with Ferrari may be the F1 2026 campaign to come, with new chassis and engine regulations to arrive. Such sweeping changes mean opportunity for major shifts in the pecking order.

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