Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Formula 1 season with Ferrari remains disappointing overall, yet there is a gradual improvement that few people have recognized. In a year as difficult as the one Ferrari is about to conclude, it is hard to find positive signs — especially from Lewis Hamilton’s side of the garage, where the British driver has faced significant challenges in his debut year wearing red. Still, there’s a notable step forward in performance that has gone largely unnoticed.
The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion is enduring the toughest campaign of his career: 2025 will in fact be the first season in 19 years without at least five podium finishes. In addition, Hamilton now holds the unfortunate record for the most races with Ferrari (20) without stepping onto the podium.
However, behind those cold statistics hides a story of progress that deserves recognition. After almost two decades racing with Mercedes, adapting to life at Ferrari was never going to be instant. Lewis Hamilton struggled to find the right feeling with the SF-25, both in handling and in communication with his new engineers.
The direct comparison with Charles Leclerc has been particularly harsh, both in qualifying and during the races, where the Monegasque driver has often shined. Yet since the summer break, the data tells a very different story — especially when it comes to single-lap performance.
Lewis Hamilton has steadily improved his qualifying pace, gradually reducing the gap to his teammate. From the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, Charles Leclerc’s average advantage dropped to just nine hundredths of a second, and after the summer, that margin fell even further to only three hundredths.
It’s a silent but meaningful progression, hidden by the absence of podiums, yet it marks an important step in Hamilton’s adaptation to the Maranello team. His first start from the top three in Mexico City stands as proof of that progress — a result that also extends his incredible streak to 19 consecutive seasons with at least one start inside the top three.
Behind this gradual resurgence lies an internal shift within the team. Following some of Lewis Hamilton’s public criticism about Ferrari’s operational approach, the Scuderia reportedly made several procedural adjustments after the Austin weekend. Those changes helped the engineers and the British driver find a better balance in their working dynamic.
Despite everything, 2025 will still be remembered as a negative year for Lewis Hamilton. But beneath the disappointing results, there are positive signs suggesting that the seven-time champion and Ferrari are slowly finding the right direction — and that 2026 could finally bring the rewards of this quiet but meaningful progress.
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