Under the afternoon sun and the roar of the grandstands at the Shanghai International Circuit, Lewis Hamilton delivered a performance that felt like a throwback to his finest years – only this time in Ferrari red.
The seven-time world champion surged to his first Grand Prix podium with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix, capping a spirited drive with several thrilling wheel-to-wheel duels against his Scuderia teammate Charles Leclerc.
After a bruising debut campaign with the Italian outfit in 2025, Hamilton’s performance in Shanghai felt like a statement: the champion is back, and he knows it.
Hamilton’s 203rd career podium – an astonishing milestone in a 20-year career – came after a race he described as pure joy behind the wheel.
“I had so much fun,” he said after the race in parc fermé. “It's one of the most enjoyable races that I've had in a long, long time, if ever.
“The fact that the cars are the way they are this year and that battle with Charles at the end was awesome, great wheel-to-wheel battle, very fair and just what we want.”
The fight with Leclerc was the perfect finale to a weekend that saw Ferrari’s veteran star push his machine to the limit, fending off pressure while showing flashes of the brilliance that defined his championship years.
Hamilton: ‘Back to my best’
Later, speaking to reporters, Hamilton made it clear that the podium was more than just a result – it was confirmation that he has rediscovered his peak form.
“I definitely feel like I'm back to both mentally and physically my best,” Hamilton said. "I still think there's room to improve.
“Training this winter has been the heaviest and the most intense that I've ever had and that probably comes hand in hand with being older, it takes longer to recover.
“But I've managed to pull these new tools. I've got a great trainer that I've been working with in the past, but we worked together since Christmas day.
“Then the time with the factory, obviously with a new engineer, and that's obviously been a real good boost as well. Great morale within the team.”
The winter reset appears to have indeed worked wonders. Hamilton revealed he made a deliberate decision over the holidays to reshape his mindset heading into the new campaign.
“As I said, just decided on Christmas day, how I was going to start this season, I decided what I was going to do mentally and I'm going to continue to tweak that,” he explained.
“I do think there's more to come. I think I can still eke out more performance from this car. I'm still learning about it as, as I go, particularly with deployment and that.
“The mid-to-end of last year, really digging deep with the engineers and talking to them about the things that I wanted from a car that I didn't have any part of developing last year to then developing the car with them this year.
“To see them listen and put some of those things that I'd asked for on the car, I’m just incredibly grateful for them for listening on that side of things. And it just makes you feel more united with everyone because you're moving in the same direction.
“So I'm looking forward to getting back next week to Maranello and seeing everybody and big, big push.”
A Podium Worth the Wait
The result meant even more given how long Hamilton had waited for it. His debut Ferrari season produced flashes of brilliance – like a sprint pole and win a year ago in Shanghai – but the podium step had remained frustratingly out of reach.
“I think I came into the season with the confidence that I used to have and I think I've stuck at it,” he explained.
“I’ve been pushing for a podium. It's the hardest thing just to get a podium compared to a lot through my career. It was the biggest challenge to get that.
“I just had to bide my time and I think coming into the season, really cultivate that really positive mental attitude, and I'm taking that forward with me.”
Eyes on Victory
Hamilton’s last Grand Prix win came at Spa, in Belgium, during his final season with Mercedes. But after Ferrari’s encouraging start to the new campaign, the Briton believes that drought could soon end.
“I definitely feel that I could say that it's more in sight than ever before. Last year couldn’t [it] have been further from view,” he said.
Still, Hamilton knows the road back to the top step isn’t simple. He acknowledged Ferrari must close a significant performance gap to Mercedes if they are to consistently challenge for victories.
“These guys in qualifying, somehow we were a little bit closer in qualifying yesterday, but in the race trim, I think they've got four, five tenths on us at the moment,” he noted.
“That's a huge step to pick up both in downforce and efficiency, and then also power.
“That's a huge upgrade that we need to push for. But I really do believe in everyone back in Maranello and that it's not an impossible feat to overcome. So Forza Ferrari, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”
For Hamilton, Shanghai wasn’t just a podium – it was a declaration. The hunger remains, the speed is returning, and the fire of a champion is burning bright once more.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
