Lewis Hamilton has entered the 2025 Formula 1 summer break with two very clear and important goals firmly in mind, focusing intently on both immediate and future targets.
The beginning and early stages of the 2025 Formula 1 season have not gone as smoothly or as successfully as Lewis Hamilton or the Ferrari team would have hoped. Despite the leadership of team principal Fred Vasseur, who has managed to guide the Scuderia Ferrari team to a respectable second place in the highly competitive constructors’ championship standings, the points gap between Ferrari and the championship leaders, McLaren, has unfortunately widened significantly, now stretching out to nearly 300 points—a substantial deficit that reflects the challenges Ferrari is currently facing.
Both Lewis Hamilton and his highly talented Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, remain in pursuit of their first Grand Prix victory of the 2025 season. While Hamilton did manage to achieve a notable win in the Sprint Race at the Shanghai Grand Prix, neither driver has yet to claim a full race victory, which remains a key goal as the season progresses.
At the start of the season, there was widespread anticipation and hope among fans and analysts alike that an intense and exciting intra-team rivalry would develop between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. This would pit one of the all-time greatest drivers in Formula 1 history, Hamilton, against one of the most promising and highly regarded young talents currently on the grid, Leclerc, creating a thrilling competition within the Maranello-based outfit.
Before Lewis Hamilton made his high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, his former teammate George Russell had consistently finished higher than him in the drivers’ championship and, more notably, outqualified Hamilton on multiple occasions over the past few seasons.
Charles Leclerc has publicly agreed with George Russell’s assessment, recognizing and praising Lewis Hamilton as Formula 1’s greatest driver of all time. However, with the hopes of both drivers challenging for the championship this year effectively over, the team’s collective focus has now shifted decisively towards the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The new 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations offer Ferrari a substantial opportunity to leapfrog McLaren and contend for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but Karun Chandhok has issued a cautious and pointed warning to Lewis Hamilton during the pre-season that suggests the British driver might already be facing a disadvantage or be on the backfoot compared to his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, as they look ahead to the upcoming season.
Karun Chandhok predicts that Ferrari’s team support will naturally ‘gravitate’ towards Charles Leclerc rather than Lewis Hamilton
Karun Chandhok shared these insightful remarks during a discussion with Ted Kravitz on The F1 Show’s season preview podcast, which was aired shortly before the start of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
When Ted Kravitz asked whether Lewis Hamilton’s statement that he needs to “galvanise the team around me” was a common mindset for drivers, or if it hinted at rivalry or tension with teammate Charles Leclerc, Chandhok interpreted Hamilton’s comment as a sign that he acknowledges the need to rally the team’s support behind himself, even though, in reality, the team’s focus and energy might already be leaning more towards Leclerc.
Chandhok explained that within any Formula 1 race team, the internal support and resources inevitably gravitate towards the driver who is currently winning and delivering the best performances on the track. Therefore, the most effective and direct way for Lewis Hamilton to unify Ferrari and galvanize the entire team behind him is by consistently outperforming Charles Leclerc during races and qualifying sessions.
Lewis Hamilton has sought a personal meeting with Ferrari’s engine chief, Enrico Gualtieri, to discuss in detail the 2026 car development and power unit prospects
At the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he has been preparing comprehensive and detailed technical documents designed to assist Ferrari’s engineering team with the development of their 2026 Formula 1 car.
Charles Leclerc was reportedly caught stifling a laugh when asked about Hamilton’s behind-the-scenes efforts, expressing surprise that so much attention was being paid to the meticulous work the seven-time world champion has been doing to contribute to the car’s development.
Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation to the new generation of ground-effect era cars has been challenging and complex, and his high-profile switch to Ferrari came at a time when the competitive performance levels across the Formula 1 grid have never been closer or more intense than in recent years.
To gain a deeper understanding and clearer insight into how Ferrari’s power units will perform in 2026, Lewis Hamilton has requested a one-on-one meeting with Enrico Gualtieri, who is Ferrari’s chief power unit engineer and a key figure in the team’s technical leadership.
As the 2026 regulations are expected to place significant emphasis on engine performance and powertrain efficiency, Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to regret his decision to join Ferrari, which remains the sport’s most iconic and legendary team. However, he will undoubtedly hope not to see the dominant Mercedes Silver Arrows team frequently standing atop the podium throughout the upcoming season, as he aims to reclaim his status as a championship contender.
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