F1 | Lewis Hamilton opens up: "No regrets about Ferrari, but I’m already focused on next year"

F1 | Lewis Hamilton opens up: “No regrets about Ferrari, but I’m already focused on next year”. Lewis Hamilton admits his frustration after a difficult first season with Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion, who entered the paddock through a secondary access point to avoid photographers, is fully aware of the negative balance at the end of his first season with Ferrari. He does not regret choosing Maranello, but he admits that the team needs time and places his trust in the long-term work being done for 2026.It does not take a psychologist to notice Lewis Hamilton’s frustration. After arriving in the paddock via a side entrance to dodge the cameras, his usual Thursday FIA press conference made it clear that he would have preferred to be almost anywhere else.

The first question put to Lewis Hamilton concerned what he will remember from his first year with Ferrari. His answer was blunt: “I don’t know, I look ahead.”

When invited to elaborate, he added only a little more: “There’s not much to say, the results are there for everyone to see. There are some positive aspects to take, and we move forward. I’ve connected well with the team, there’s incredible passion within the group. And now I will focus only on next year.”

The dialogue continued with questions far longer than the answers. For Lewis Hamilton, the most important thing he has learned over the last 12 months is “the ability to get back up again.” When asked whether the improved competitiveness of the car in the final two rounds might change his evaluation of the season, he gave the bare minimum: “no.”

He then shifted to expectations for the race weekend ahead. “I think the car should be quite good in some areas, it won’t be easy to keep up with Red Bull, but I’m hoping for a better weekend.” – the Briton pointed out.

On one point, Lewis was extremely clear: he has no regrets about choosing Ferrari. “I don’t regret the decision I made to join this team, I know it takes time to build and grow within an organization, and I expected that. So, no regrets.”

He continued by saying: “The passion is the most special thing about this team, the support from the fans around the world is extraordinary. In some ways that probably makes things even harder when the weekends don’t go as we want, because you can see how much passion, dedication and hard work every single person is putting into the team, even back at the factory, and the results don’t reflect that or reward them. But it’s a big emotional bubble, a really precious one.”

When asked about his on-track performance, which has generally been below that of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton responded calmly. “It doesn’t worry me. I’m focused only on my side, and obviously Charles has done a great job. He has been in the team for seven years, he has a group around him that he’s worked with for a long time, so it’s a well-oiled machine. From my side I’ve had to start building a relationship with a new group of people, it’s a new environment that I’m still getting used to. We’re pushing forward as much as we can, but making everything work perfectly takes time.”

Lewis Hamilton offered one final reflection about 2026 and the hope that Ferrari can turn the page after a difficult season. “I hope so, for sure. We have a lot of work to do, there are many improvements we need to make collectively, but I think everyone in the team is aware of that. And I believe we can do it. So yes, I hope we will implement and make these changes, arriving with a better package for next season.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion concluded.