Lewis Hamilton returns to Silverstone in last chance saloon for first Ferrari year
After all, this was the seven-time F1 world champion moving to the fabled Ferrari. A driver in need of rejuvenation after three years of frustration at Mercedes was joining a team seemingly on the up, having come within a whisker of last year's constructors' title. Everything seemed perfectly aligned. With the whole world watching, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, come race 12 and the halfway stage of the 2025 season, the answer is unavoidable: pretty much everything.
It has been an eye-opening, gut-wrenching opening salvo for the 40-year-old in red. From amateurish radio communications and irritation in the rain of Australia in round one to an overwhelming lack of car performance throughout, Hamilton has endured his worst-ever start to an F1 season. Even for the greatest of pessimists, this was not in the forecast.
Eleven races, zero podiums. Sixth in the world championship, closer to the bottom of the standings than the top. Never mind winning, Hamilton is now on the longest podium-less streak of his career, at 13, stretching back to Las Vegas last November.
As ever, it makes this weekend's British Grand Prix a significant marker in his season. A venue he has won at nine times, and been on the podium for 11 consecutive years, represents Hamilton's best chance to smell the Moet & Chandon champagne once more.
Of course, his fond memories here come as recently as last year, when he broke a 31-month winless streak with a memorable and brilliant victory.
If it's going to happen anywhere for Hamilton in 2025, it's going to be this weekend.
'There is always magic here at Silverstone,' he said, with an optimistic outlook, at media day on Thursday. 'It is a very, very special race and I am hoping all sorts of things can help us. I am hoping and praying.
'I cannot wait for Friday. Driving a Ferrari at Silverstone for the first time will be special and unique in its own way. We have the best fans here, and for a British driver, they really do make a difference.
'I have shown that to you time and time again. I hope this weekend they really make the difference for us.'
HAMILTON'S FIRST 11 RACES IN 2025
Sixth in the championship standings - 91 points
28 points and one place behind teammate Charles Leclerc (three podiums to zero)
Leclerc 9-4 Hamilton in qualifying; average advantage of 0.151 seconds
Zero podiums
Hamilton is accurate to some extent: his best displays do come in front of the British fans, of which we can anticipate a modicum more to come decked in scarlet over the next three days. In fact, amid a full schedule which for the first time includes British F4 alongside F3, F2 and F1, Silverstone organisers are hoping to have a record 500,000 people attend.
Lando Norris even has his own 10,000-capacity 'Landostand' at Stowe corner, beating Hamilton and George Russell in the British popularity rankings.
Yet relying on the fans in the grandstands is not the customary route to results in Formula 1; a sport where the drivers genuinely struggle to hear the noise generated by the supporters, given the scorching sound of the V6 hybrid engine.
The biggest nadir so far, unquestionably, was a contrasting second round in China. All looked rosy when Hamilton took pole for the shortened sprint race and, without a serious challenge, cruised to victory. Yet 24 hours later, both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc's cars had been disqualified. For team principal Fred Vasseur, it was an embarrassing state of affairs.
HAMILTON'S SILVERSTONE PODIUMS
2024: 1st
2023: 3rd
2022: 3rd
2021: 1st
2020 x2: 1st and 2nd
2019: 1st
2018: 2nd
2017: 1st
2016: 1st
2015: 1st
2014: 1st
In the weeks since, we've had issues uncovered and not eradicated. We've had anger on the radio towards race engineer Riccardo Adami. We've even had boredom: Hamilton has regularly been running on his own in races, too quick for the midfield pack but too slow to compete at the top.
'Where is Lewis?' says the hypothetical fan switching on Sky Sports F1 mid-race. 'No man's land,' is often the riposte.
But this weekend, there is hope.
Ferrari unveiled a much-needed upgrade to the floor of their car at the last race in Austria and were the second-quickest team. A further development of the rear suspension is expected this weekend. It feels like something of a last-chance saloon for the Scuderia, as teams up and down the grid begin to turn their full attention to new regulations next year.
Yet, more crucial than car modifications, as so often is the case in Northamptonshire, rain is in the air on Sunday.
'We are not as quick as McLaren,' Hamilton said. 'If it stays dry, they will walk the race.'
But if it rains, nobody masters a wet-dry conflux like Hamilton around these parts. A win may still be out of the question – though championship frontrunners Norris and Oscar Piastri have already shown that mistakes and collisions are possible – but a podium feels obtainable. Yet for Hamilton, historical statistics are not what he's here for; he simply wants to see progress. A lot of progress.
'I don't look at those (podium) statistics, so it is not something that affects me or I think about,' Hamilton said.
'But we are here at Silverstone. What better place to change that run?'
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