Lewis Hamilton has revealed the steps he is taking to ensure Ferrari are able to challenge for titles in the near future; watch every session of the Belgian GP, starting with Practice at 11.30am and Sprint Qualifying at 3.30pm on Friday – live on Sky Sports F1
Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘the big, big push’ he is undertaking to help Ferrari ‘get better’
Lewis Hamilton says he is making a “big push” for change at Ferrari because he “refuses” to become the latest star driver to fail to win a world championship with the team.
Hamilton has endured a largely disappointing debut campaign with the Italian team, failing to score a grand prix podium across his first 12 races in red, with the SF-25 failing to live up to pre-season expectations of being a title-challenging car.
However, the seven-time world champion remains adamant that he can make a success of his blockbuster switch from Mercedes, and revealed ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports – that he has been submitting documents and holding meetings with key figures at the team’s Maranello factory over the past two weeks.
Hamilton said on Thursday: “I was at the factory a couple of days in each week. Naturally, you’re going over where we were at the previous race, things we need to change.
“I held a lot of meetings. I’ve called lots of meetings with the heads of the team, so I’ve sat with (chairman) John (Elkann), (chief executive) Benedetto (Vigna), (team principal) Fred (Vasseur). And several meetings I’ve sat with the head of our car development, with Loic (Serra), with also the heads of different departments – talking about the engine for next year, suspension for next year – things that you want, issues that I have with this car.
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“I’ve sent documents through the year. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. Then, during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in. So, then I come in and want to address those.
“Some of it is structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better in all the areas that we want to improve, and then the other one was really about the current issues that I have with this year’s car. Some things that you do want to take on to next year’s car, and some that you need to work on changing for next year.
“I tried the 2026 car for the first time and started working on that. The engineers come to the room and sit and debrief with every single one of them, so a big, big push.”
‘I’m going the extra mile!’
Ferrari’s last silverware came in the form of the 2008 Constructors’ Championship, while their most recent triumph in the Drivers’ Championship was delivered a year earlier by Kimi Raikkonen.
Since then, both Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel both failed to add the world championships they had won elsewhere during stints with Ferrari, while Raikkonen also missed out in his second stint with the team.
Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc is driving his seventh season for the team, and has failed to mount a sustained championship challenge.
Asked if he could provide any more information on the documents he had been submitting, Hamilton explained his desire to claim a record eighth drivers’ title during the latter stages of his career.
Watch new onboard of Lewis Hamilton as he made a double overtake on George Russell and Esteban Ocon in wet conditions at the British Grand Prix.
Watch new onboard footage of Lewis Hamilton as he made a double overtake on George Russell and Esteban Ocon in wet conditions at the British Grand Prix
The 40-year-old said: “The reason for it is that I see a huge amount of potential within this team. The passion, nothing comes close to that. It’s a huge organisation with a lot of moving parts, and not all of them are firing on all the cylinders they need to be. That’s ultimately why the team’s not had the success that I think it deserves.
“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 making the decisions.
“If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they’ve had amazing drivers – you’ve had Kimi, you’ve had Fernando, you’ve had Sebastian – all world champions; however, they didn’t win a world championship. For me, I refuse for that to be the case with me.
“So, I’m going the extra mile. I’ve obviously been very fortunate to have had experiences in two other great teams. Whilst things are for sure going to be different, because there’s a different culture and everything, I think sometimes if you take the same path all the time, you get the same result.
“I’m just challenging certain things. They’ve been incredibly responsive. We’ve been improving in so many areas, through marketing, through everything we’re continuously delivering for sponsors, the way the engineers continue to work. There’s lots of work and improvements to be made, but very responsive.
“I guess ultimately, I’m just trying to really create allies within the organisation and get them geed up, get them pushing for… I’m here to win, and I don’t have as much time as this one (Mercedes’ 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli) here.
“So, it’s crunch time. For me, I truly believe in the potential of this team. I really believe they can win multiple world championships moving forwards. They already have an amazing legacy, but during my time, that’s my sole goal.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule
Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Belgian Grand Prix
Friday July 25
7.55am: F3 Practice
9.05am: F2 Practice
11am: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts at 11.30am)
12.55pm: F3 Qualifying
1.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3pm: Belgian GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 3.30pm)
Saturday July 26
8.10am: F3 Sprint
10am: Belgian GP Sprint (lights out at 11am)
12.20pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
12.40pm: F2 Sprint
2pm: Belgian GP Qualifying (session starts at 3pm)
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 27
7.25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Belgian GP build-up*
4pm: Chequered flag: Belgian GP reaction*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
The 2025 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix as the Sprint format returns, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.
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