Lewis Hamilton admitted that there was “nothing positive” to take from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, highlighting how challenging his 2025 season with Ferrari has been. Despite this, before the Saturday evening race began, former F1 driver David Coulthard remained optimistic about the seven-time world champion’s chances of staging a comeback.
Ferrari fans witnessed a rare low point for Hamilton, as he became the first Ferrari driver to qualify last in Las Vegas without a penalty or technical issue since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2009. Hamilton was promoted to 19th on the starting grid after Yuki Tsunoda chose to start from the pit lane. Historically, Lewis Hamilton has often turned poor starting positions into impressive results, such as at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix where he gained 15 places in the Sprint Race, or at the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix when he started from the pit lane and finished fourth.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has largely avoided discussing Lewis Hamilton’s race pace this season, where the Briton has frequently been outperformed by his new teammate Charles Leclerc. Nevertheless, Coulthard went into Las Vegas confident that Lewis Hamilton could deliver a strong performance, predicting a significant recovery despite the difficult weekend.
David Coulthard anticipates a major recovery from Lewis Hamilton
On Channel 4’s coverage of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, David Coulthard addressed the notion that Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 season could not end soon enough. David Coulthard highlighted that every race presented an opportunity for the seven-time world champion to claw back points, pointing to Lewis Hamilton’s speed in free practice, which matched Charles Leclerc, and noting that the Ferrari SF-25’s wet-weather issues had been a major factor in the weekend’s difficulties. The former Formula 1 driver suggested that the Briton could still stage a “big comeback,” drawing comparisons to Max Verstappen’s ability to recover from pit lane starts to strong finishes, emphasizing that Ferrari’s competitiveness on this circuit was underestimated.
Lewis Hamilton struggles to meet expectations at Las Vegas
During the race, Lewis Hamilton made a solid start, quickly moving up to P12 by avoiding early incidents. However, his progress stalled after an early pit stop, and he found himself stuck behind experienced Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg. The inability to overtake Hulkenberg prevented Lewis Hamilton from achieving the comeback David Coulthard had forecasted. Ferrari’s strategy and the SF-25’s limitations in mixed conditions were again exposed.
The race also highlighted contrasting performances within Ferrari’s ranks. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who had exited Q1, managed a remarkable 48-lap stint on hard tyres, overcame a five-second penalty for a false start, and eventually finished on the podium in third place after McLaren’s double disqualification. This performance underscored what could be possible even when starting from a disadvantaged position.
Post-race frustration reveals Hamilton’s outlook on 2026
After finishing P10, later promoted to P8 following McLaren’s disqualifications, Lewis Hamilton candidly shared his disappointment. He described Las Vegas as a “terrible result” and admitted that there was nothing positive to take from the weekend. When asked about his perspective on upcoming races, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion revealed that his focus was not on the next event in Qatar but rather on the 2026 season, implying that he was mentally checked out from the remainder of the current year.
Lewis Hamilton’s reaction illustrates the broader struggles he has faced in 2025, a season marked by consistent challenges in extracting pace from the Ferrari SF-25, frequent strategic missteps, and the rising performance of Charles Leclerc. The Las Vegas GP serves as yet another example of how Lewis Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari has tested both his patience and resilience, while David Coulthard’s predictions of a “big comeback” failed to materialize.
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