Lewis Hamilton delivers telling half-season verdict as Ferrari stint takes shape

Lewis Hamilton has delivered his mid-season verdict following his tough start to the F1 2025 season, and being a Ferrari driver.

While he doesn’t think he’s driven poorly, Hamilton admitted that both he and the SF-25 could to do improve.

Lewis Hamilton’s half-season recap

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Expectations were extremely high for Lewis Hamilton and Scuderia Ferrari ahead of the F1 2025 season.

The arrival of the most successful driver in F1 history at a team that last year challenged for the Constructors’ Championship created a sense of optimism that great things were on the horizon for the Scuderia.

But as things stand, Hamilton sits sixth in the drivers’ standings with 103 points, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. Though he’s finished in the points in every race (with the exception of his disqualification in China) and even managed to win one sprint race, Hamilton spent the early part of 2025 in the lower half of the top 10.

His fortunes seemed to turn around in Imola, where he secured a season-best fourth-place finish, repeated that feat in Austria and Britain.

More on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari:

👉 Four big reasons why Lewis Hamilton ditched Mercedes for Ferrari

👉 Revealed: The remarkable 36-hour timeline behind Lewis Hamilton’s shock Ferrari move

Despite the teething problems and early season struggles, Lewis Hamilton did admit after the British Grand Prix that things are moving in the right direction, even if “the car was unbelievably tricky to drive.”

“I’m not driving that terribly but of course want to continue to improve,” Hamilton said, taking stock of the weekend with media, including PlanetF1.com.

“Qualifying was looking better yesterday, and I think we just continue to build on that.

“I’m really hoping for some improvements moving forward. We’ve got this two week break now, you’re going to spend a lot of time in the factory soon.”

The seven-time World Champion did admit that there are quite a few changes he’d like to see via the upgrades. He’d like a “a consistent balance, a car that turns in a low speed. And just a more stable car.”

Those are some big asks — but Hamilton sounded confident that improvements have indeed been made.

He continued, “I think we were looking great through this weekend. Still weren’t able to fully extract everything in qualifying, and then the race was a little bit harder. So that’s where I want to get stronger.”

It’s a fair assessment from the driver, who seems to struggle overall with the latest trends in ground effect regulations. Certain elements of the SF-25 need work to make it less challenging to handle, while of course the driver behind the wheel can also find ways to better integrate with the machinery he’s been given.

When it comes to the F1 2026 season, Hamilton did make a point of stating that he’ll be sitting down with Ferrari to discuss ways to make its upcoming machinery handle more effectively in wet conditions.

“There’s elements of this car that cannot transfer and go into the following year,” he stated. But he did sound pleased to, at the very least, have amassed data and gained a better understanding of the SF-25’s wet-weather weaknesses.

Hamilton certainly would have rather taken a podium — or a win — at his home race to continue an impressive streak of performance at Silverstone. But hope for the future has been tough to come by in 2025, and that’s a win in and of itself.

Read next: What Lewis Hamilton wants from Ferrari SF-25 after ‘most difficult car’ verdict