Jenson Button points out a overlooked brilliant Lewis Hamilton moment in Austin

Lewis Hamilton Shows Resilience Despite Missing First Ferrari Podium at the United States Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton will undoubtedly be frustrated after missing out on his first podium with Ferrari at the 2025 United States Grand Prix, but there were several positives for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion. The weekend highlighted both the challenges and potential of the Scuderia Ferrari SF-25, demonstrating that Hamilton remains a formidable competitor despite setbacks.

Ferrari’s Mixed Weekend at COTA

Ferrari faced a challenging start to the United States Grand Prix weekend. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggled to secure strong positions in the top 10 shootout for the Sprint Race, highlighting ongoing performance inconsistencies. Despite this, the weekend concluded with Leclerc claiming a podium for the sixth time this season, while Hamilton finished just behind him in fourth, narrowly holding off Oscar Piastri in a tense final lap.

Hamilton faced a late mechanical issue, which he described as feeling like a broken front wing or a puncture, nearly costing him his fourth-place finish. Additionally, he expressed frustration over team radio regarding his lack of pace compared to Leclerc, who benefited from a more effective race strategy. Despite these hurdles, Hamilton was still able to outperform George Russell’s Mercedes, securing 12 crucial championship points as Ferrari continues its push for second place in the constructors’ standings.

Jenson Button Highlights Hamilton’s Start as Exceptional

Former world champion Jenson Button, analyzing the race for Sky Sports F1 alongside Danica Patrick, drew attention to a remarkable yet often overlooked moment for Hamilton. Button praised Lewis Hamilton’s start in the United States GP as “amazing,” noting that the 40-year-old showed his signature racecraft by diving around the outside at turn one and climbing back to P4 despite initially losing positions off the line. Button emphasized that this performance reaffirmed the Briton’s enduring skill and competitiveness at the highest level of Formula 1.

Danica Patrick added that finishing strongly after a challenging weekend boosts team morale, describing Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish as a source of optimism heading into the next race in Mexico City. She highlighted that last year, Ferrari had strong results at the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, with Carlos Sainz taking victory, Charles Leclerc securing third, and Lewis Hamilton finishing close behind, suggesting a favorable outlook for the upcoming race.

Hamilton Reflects on His Performance and Missed Podium

During his post-race media session, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the progress Ferrari has made while remaining realistic about the limitations of the SF-25. He explained that his first stint was encouraging, keeping him in contention for third place, but after the pit stop, the gap to the top three became difficult to close. Overall, Hamilton described the weekend as productive and a positive indicator of the team’s ongoing development, emphasizing that there remains untapped potential within the Ferrari car.

Hamilton identified his only frustration as the inability to match Charles Leclerc’s pace in the latter stages, despite running on softer tyres during his second stint. Nevertheless, the Sprint Race performance, where Lewis Hamilton overtook Charles Leclerc, showcased the minimal gap in their race pace and highlighted Lewis Hamilton’s consistent competitiveness. This underscores the challenge for the seven-time world champion in maintaining pressure on Leclerc over the remainder of the season and into next year.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities for Hamilton to Shine

With five remaining races to secure his first podium of 2025, Lewis Hamilton remains focused and motivated. His performance at the United States Grand Prix demonstrated that he is still capable of delivering exceptional racecraft and strategic overtakes. The consistency of his performances, combined with Ferrari’s ongoing development, suggests that the Briton has every opportunity to end the season strongly and continue building momentum for the 2026 campaign.

In conclusion, while Lewis Hamilton’s first podium with the Italian side continues to elude him, his resilience, skillful overtakes, and ability to manage challenging race situations reinforce his status as one of Formula 1’s elite drivers..