Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has firmly stated he does not regret his high-profile decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari, despite labelling his debut season with the Italian team as deeply challenging.
Frustration in the Heat of the Moment
The British racing driver faced his lowest point during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he qualified a dismal 20th and last on the grid. Although he progressed to finish tenth, and was later elevated to eighth after the disqualifications of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, his post-race comments revealed his exasperation.
Hamilton admitted he was eager for the season to conclude and even expressed that he was "not looking forward to 2026". However, speaking ahead of this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix in Doha, the driver moved to clarify those remarks.
"I would be surprised if the other drivers are excited about next year at the end of a season," Hamilton explained. "Usually, you don’t have a lot of energy. It was in the heat of frustration and often there is a lot of frustration at the end of a race when it does not go well." He concluded, "I am excited to see what the team does next year."
Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream
Hamilton's move to Ferrari marked the end of an era with Mercedes, the constructor that carried him to six of his historic seven world titles. When questioned if he had any second thoughts about leaving the Silver Arrows, he was resolute.
"That is a hypothetical question and I will not really get into that," he stated. "But I don’t regret the decision I made, joining this team. I know it takes time to build and grow within an organisation and I expected that."
The Uphill Battle Against Leclerc
The statistics from the 2025 season highlight the scale of Hamilton's struggle. He currently finds himself a significant 74 points behind his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, in the drivers' championship and is still awaiting his first podium finish with the team.
The performance gap is further emphasised in qualifying, where Hamilton has been out-qualified by Leclerc 17 times in their 22 appearances together. In contrast, the Monegasque driver has secured seven top-three finishes.
Despite the glaring disparity, Hamilton remains philosophical, attributing the difference to Leclerc's long-established position within the Ferrari setup.
"I am not concerned about that," Hamilton insisted. "Charles has done a great job. He has been here for seven years and he has a team around him who he has worked with for many years so it is a well-oiled machine. On my side, it is a new group of people. It is a new environment that I am still getting used to."
He added, "We are working as hard as we can to get it to work as well as we can and to compare it to someone who has had it for seven years, you don’t just do it like that. It takes a bit of time."
