Climbing from eighteenth to seventh was not enough to satisfy Lewis Hamilton, who, after the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, once again offered his apologies to the fans for what he described as a disappointing and underwhelming race weekend.
Hamilton’s Comeback Not Enough to Ease the Disappointment
Gaining eleven positions during a Grand Prix would usually be a reason for celebration. But not when your name is Lewis Hamilton and you are racing for Scuderia Ferrari. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion knows what expectations come with wearing red, and even after a strong comeback drive, he was the first to admit that the weekend had fallen short of the standards he holds for himself and his team.
Sir Lewis Hamilton provided plenty of excitement in the opening laps of the race, making bold overtakes on slower cars and capitalising on his car’s setup, which was particularly well suited to the damp and changing track conditions early on. However, as the racing line dried and conditions stabilised, Hamilton’s progress began to stall. While he continued gaining positions, he eventually found himself trapped behind a much faster opponent—Williams driver Alexander Albon.
This was not the first time Hamilton had found Albon in his path during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. He had already struggled to pass the Thai driver during the Sprint race and had to fight hard to make a move. This time, in the main Grand Prix, Hamilton could not find a way past, and he ultimately crossed the finish line in seventh position. Given the potential of the SF-25 Ferrari, which had already demonstrated podium-level performance in the hands of Charles Leclerc, that result felt like a missed opportunity.
Hamilton’s Candid Words After the Race
“These are definitely the kind of conditions I grew up racing in. They’ve given me many chances over the years, and I’ve really learned to love them,” Lewis Hamilton explained in an interview with Sky Sports after the race. “I still want to apologise to the fans for this weekend. There were many factors that contributed to the mistakes we made, especially on Friday. As for Saturday—that was entirely on me,” he admitted, taking full responsibility with sincerity and humility.
Despite the frustrations, Hamilton made it clear that he intends to keep pushing forward. “We brought home some points and extended the gap over Mercedes in the championship standings, which is a positive outcome,” he noted.
Understanding the Upgrades and Looking Ahead
A more straightforward and trouble-free weekend would have been ideal to better evaluate the behaviour of Ferrari’s new rear suspension system, which was one of the key technical upgrades introduced recently. Nevertheless, Hamilton confirmed that he had been able to draw some useful conclusions. “Now I have a better understanding of the changes we’ve made,” he explained. “We’ll return to the factory with clearer insights.”
In closing, Lewis Hamilton took a moment to express his gratitude to the Scuderia Ferrari team, acknowledging the relentless work behind the scenes that made the upgrades possible. “I’m extremely grateful for all the hard work the team has done,” he said. “I really want to thank every single one of them. There are so many people involved, and they’ve all worked incredibly hard. They’re still pushing, and I need to take a moment to recognise that.”
While the Belgian Grand Prix result may not have fully reflected Ferrari’s true potential, Lewis Hamilton’s maturity, technical feedback, and unwavering drive signal that both he and the team are determined to close the gap to the front-runners in the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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