Lewis Hamilton ‘refuses' to join list of champions to fail with Ferrari
He is sixth in the standings, 131 points off the championship pace at the midway stage of his debut Ferrari campaign.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the recent British Grand Prix (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Following the British Grand Prix, Hamilton said he staged meetings with all of Ferrari's key figures – including chairman John Elkann and team principal Fred Vasseur – and submitted two documents outlining his vision as to why the Italian giants are not up to speed.
Ferrari's last world drivers' title came in 2007, with their most recent constructors' crown the following year.
Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton, 40, said: 'I see a huge amount of potential within this team.
'But it's a huge organisation, and there are a lot of moving parts. And not all of them are firing on all the cylinders that they need to be.
'That's ultimately why the team has not had the success that I think it deserves. So, I feel that it's my job to challenge absolutely every area, to challenge everybody in the team, particularly the guys that are at the top who are making the decisions.
Rain or shine, the Tifosi are always here 🫶 pic.twitter.com/cN7ar5RAeF
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) July 24, 2025
'If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they've had amazing drivers. Kimi (Raikkonen), Fernando (Alonso), Sebastian (Vettel) — all world champions. However, they didn't win a world championship. (Raikkonen did in 2007).
'I refuse for that to be the case with me. So, I'm going the extra mile. If you take the same path all the time, you get the same results. So I'm just challenging certain things. There's still a lot of improvements to be made, but they've been very responsive.'
Hamilton, who has a two-year deal at Ferrari with an option for a third, will hope an upgraded rear suspension for Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps will improve his fortunes.
He concluded: 'I'm here to win. I don't have much time but I truly believe in the potential of this team.
'I really believe they can win multiple world championships moving forward. That's my sole goal.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will not let players go cheaply
United's transfer dealings have been widely criticised in recent seasons and Amorim said chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox would not be taken advantage of just to get rid of those surplus to requirements. Alejandro Garnacho is one of four unwanted players left at home by Manchester United (Peter Byrne/PA) 'Some players have to find a new place to have more space in the team and others clearly show they want a new challenge and want new teams,' Amorim told a press conference ahead of the the Premier League Summer Series game against West Ham on Saturday. 'We are just allowing these players to have time to think and to decide. If we reach a point where they have to join the team, they will join the team because they are our players. 'I know for a fact that these people, Omar and Jason, and the club have a number (price) for these players. If they don't reach that, they will be Manchester United players, no doubt about that. 'I understand clubs are maybe waiting for the last minute, but they can have a surprise and I'm ready. I'm ready to receive the players. 'They have more competition – if you want to play in the World Cup you need to play, so I'm really happy with that because I have more options. If they have to fight each other to play, for me it is perfect.' United have spent about £130million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon but are still in the market for a defensive midfielder and a striker. However, previous mis-steps on transfers mean United are being more circumspect this summer. 'At the moment, our club needs to be really careful when we sign a player,' added Amorim. 'So if we have to start the season with this squad, I'm happy because all the players that are here want to be here – and that for me is the most important thing.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak's dream Liverpool shirt number depends on £43m transfer after Arne Slot snub
Alexander Isak has donned the No 14 at Newcastle and is considering a move away but that number is occupied at Liverpool - unless the pieces fall into place for it to become vacant Alexander Isak is being heavily linked with a summer switch to Liverpool but the Newcastle star currently wouldn't be able to take the No 14 shirt given it is already occupied - at least for now. Federico Chiesa was the only signing Arne Slot made last summer, albeit the Italian has struggled to make an impact at Anfield and has been left out of their pre-season tour. He was a £10million signing from Juventus but could now make a return to Italy. Atalanta are keen on the Italian, which would free up the No 14 for Isak if he did make the move to Liverpool. However the Serie A side first need to sell Ademola Lookman to Inter Milan before they can complete a deal for Chiesa, according to reports. There has been speculation that the Reds flop could return to his native Italy for months and Atalanta are ready to save the 27-year-old from his torrid spell in England. The Bergamo outfit are ready to make a move for Chiesa according to Football Italia, but only once they have confirmed Lookman's exit. Inter want to add the Englishman, who scored 20 goals, as they rebuild their team in the aftermath of Simone Inzaghi's exit. Atalanta are demanding at least £43m before they let the winger seek pastures new. If that move does not materialise then Isak may have to eye up the No 9, which is currently held by Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan has seen a potential route to an exit blocked after Napoli pulled out of a deal, but he is expected to bring an end to his three seasons on Merseyside - two of which have been in the No 9 shirt - in the coming weeks. The Newcastle ace has spent the last three years at St James' Park and just enjoyed his best season to date. He enjoyed a run of games where he scored in eight games on the bounce, one of which was against Liverpool. He has three years to run on his contract at Newcastle but has told the club he wants to explore a move away from the club, which has put the Reds on alert. Hugo Ekitike recently joined from Frankfurt but Slot is still weighing up whether to pursue the Swedish star. Newcastle are yet to lose one of their key figures since their Saudi owners came aboard, but their ambitions could now be hit if Isak does push for the exit door. Skipper Bruno Guimaraes admitted the player was going through "some rough things" but insisted he hoped the player would return for the club ahead of the new Premier League season.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Cadillac have chosen the two F1 stars they want to sign for 2026
Team principal Graeme Lowdon is said to have settled on the two Formula 1 drivers he wants to sign for Cadillac ahead of their debut season in the sport next year Formula 1 newbies Cadillac are said to have decided which drivers they want to lead their charge on track in their debut season. The American outfit will become the sport's 11th team when it debuts next March at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. With just one year to get everything in place, team principal Graeme Lowdon has plenty on his plate from hiring staff to setting up manufacturing processes and designing their first ever F1 car. Plus, of course, he must hire two drivers to get behind the wheel of those machines next season. During a recent podcast appearance, Lowdon offered seven names as he shed some light on the decision process. Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Felipe Drugovich, Frederik Vesti, Arvid Lindblad and Colton Herta were the drivers he mentioned as he discussed Cadillac's options. And it appears he has narrowed down his options further by choosing his two preferred driver options. Lowdon told Mirror Sport earlier this month that he would prefer "experienced" options and he seems to have stuck to that. Speaking on F1 TV ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, correspondent Lawrence Barretto was speaking about the situation of Bottas who is a man in demand. Back at Mercedes as a reserve this year after losing his Sauber race seat, the Finn is wanted by Alpine but also seems to be a leading candidate for Cadillac. "The more likely landing spot for him is Cadillac," said Barretto, who also revealed the name of the other driver in pole position for a seat. "I hear that they haven't got any contracts done, not even any ahead of terms, but Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are the two drivers that they want at that team. "It's just a case of them going through the motions with it. It might be some time until we find that out. Obviously, there is still some time for that to change, but that's where we're looking I think. "That's where I think it's going, which makes sense because Valtteri could maybe use the Alpine interest to maybe get a better deal. They want experience, and those two drivers offer that in bags." Both drivers are multi-race winners throughout their long F1 careers. Bottas won 10 races over five seasons as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton during his first spell with Mercedes, while Perez is a six-time race winner himself, five with Red Bull after his maiden success while still at Racing Point. Should Cadillac end up contracting those two racers, it will be a tough pill to swallow for Zhou Guanyu. The Chinese racer, now reserve at Ferrari, is also looking for a way back onto the grid and may have been expecting to be a front-runner, given Lowdon was previously a member of his management team.
