Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he kept an injury sustained during a crash at the start of his first season with Ferrari a secret throughout 2025. The seven-time world champion celebrated his maiden victory with the Italian team at the Barcelona Grand Prix on Sunday, an emotional triumph that marked his 106th career win.
Hamilton's Difficult Start at Ferrari
The 41-year-old endured a challenging debut season with the Scuderia, failing to secure a podium finish for the first time in his career, though a second-place result at the United States Grand Prix was later stripped due to a double disqualification. Speaking after his Barcelona win, Hamilton admitted that a 'big crash' at the Circuit de Catalunya early in 2025 left him with an injury that plagued him throughout the year.
'I trained very, very hard this year,' Hamilton told Viaplay. 'Last year was difficult from the beginning because I got injured here, actually, a big crash that I had here last year and I was carrying that injury through the whole year which was really, really difficult.'
Turning Point in 2026
In the current 2026 season, Hamilton's fortunes have improved significantly. He now sits second in the drivers' standings with 115 points, 41 behind leader Kimi Antonelli, and has already achieved four podiums from seven races. Reflecting on his difficult first year with Ferrari, Hamilton admitted he used the disappointment as motivation to work harder.
'I never like to think about it,' he said. 'I'm only human so there's moments where I see the stuff and for sure there's moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply. But then I went through a sequence of unplugging from that matrix. I spent lots of time with family, lots of time with friends, real people that know me, that have never doubted me.'
Training and Recovery
Hamilton revealed that he embarked on an intense training regimen from Christmas Day onwards, focusing on getting back into peak physical condition. 'The training that I put in was harder than I've ever experienced, to keep myself in good shape,' he added. 'I think at the beginning of last year I got injured here, actually, and carried that for months.'
Confidence in Ferrari Decision
Hamilton stunned the motorsport world when he announced his departure from Mercedes in February 2024 after 12 years with the team. Despite Mercedes now leading the constructors' championship, Hamilton remains confident in his decision to join Ferrari. 'I truly believed in my decision in joining Ferrari,' he said. 'I truly believed in what this team could achieve, what we could achieve together. I know it started out with lots of excitement and then lots of doubt and lots of negativity that followed through a whole year.'
He credited his fans, family, and friends for supporting him through the tough times, adding: 'Starting into a new season, a new year, lots and lots of changes in the background enabled me to get to this position that I'm in today. I just feel a lot of gratitude and a lot of pride – very, very proud of the people that I work with. They're so passionate and have so much humility and they are so kind. Seeing them sing the national anthem today was an incredible feeling. Just the best.'
