Could Lewis Hamilton still hope to claim a victory or at least a podium finish in the final four races of the 2025 Formula 1 season? The British driver’s response leaves little room for interpretation.
It has now been twenty races since Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari, and despite the Mexican Grand Prix appearing to be a good opportunity for the seven-time world champion to claim his first podium in red, the much-awaited result once again slipped away due to a series of unfortunate circumstances. But does Lewis Hamilton still believe he can achieve it in the final races of 2025? Here’s what he had to say.
Hamilton’s strong start but more bad luck in Mexico
Lewis Hamilton delivered an excellent start in the Mexican Grand Prix, almost managing to get ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. However, the Monegasque driver reacted cleverly after seeing the British driver move ahead at Turn 2, cutting across the track and returning the position only to Lando Norris. Following that, Lewis Hamilton became engaged in a fierce battle with Max Verstappen for third place, which eventually led to him receiving a ten-second penalty that dropped him out of podium contention.
Hamilton’s reflection on the 2025 season finale
“It was fun at the start, but it didn’t end the way I hoped. That’s motorsport. The penalty? Off the racing line, the track was really dirty, and I did my best to rejoin safely. I couldn’t do much more. Still, there are some positives — at least we managed to score some points.” This was how the British driver summed up his Mexican Grand Prix when speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race.
Lewis Hamilton had been penalized for not complying with FIA regulations when rejoining the track after going off. The seven-time world champion explained that he had struggled to slow down properly because the surface was slippery and dusty in that section, which made it impossible to brake as needed. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur also described the stewards’ decision as “too harsh.”
Lewis Hamilton rules out podium or victory before the end of 2025
When asked directly if he thought he could still reach the podium or even win a race before the end of the 2025 season, Lewis Hamilton responded bluntly: “I don’t think I’ll be on the podium or win this year.” His words paint a rather pessimistic outlook heading into the final rounds of the championship.
Since the summer break, Lewis Hamilton has shown some signs of improvement and stronger pace with the Ferrari SF-25, but so far that hasn’t been enough to secure a top-three finish. His teammate Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, managed to take seventh place in Mexico — his second consecutive top-seven result. Despite the Briton’s own doubts, many fans and analysts still believe a podium finish for the British driver remains within reach, provided that Ferrari maintains its current level of performance in the final four Grands Prix of the season.
