Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari are edging ever closer to returning to the top step of the Formula 1 podium, with the seven-time world champion expressing unwavering confidence in the Scuderia’s trajectory after another impressive performance in Monaco.
Hamilton delivered a standout drive on the streets of Monte Carlo to secure second place, matching his best result since joining Ferrari and collecting his third podium finish of the 2026 campaign.
While Mercedes continue to set the benchmark in outright pace, Hamilton, now sitting second in the Drivers’ standings, believes the team’s hard work is beginning to pay off.
“I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that,” he said. “I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred.”
The result was made even more significant by a difficult day for several of his closest rivals. George Russell failed to score points, while Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc retired after an early crash, allowing Hamilton to further solidify his championship position.
A key factor behind his improvement, according to Hamilton, has been the support of team principal Fred Vasseur.
The pair share a long-standing relationship that stretches back two decades to the Briton’s championship-winning GP2 season in 2006. That connection appears to be proving invaluable as Ferrari continue their rebuilding process.
Over the winter, Hamilton’s support structure underwent notable changes, including the arrival of Carlo Santi as his race engineer. Looking back, Hamilton revealed he had pushed for adjustments behind the scenes and credited Vasseur for listening.
“Fred has been awesome in supporting me,” he said. “Last year was really tough for both of us, and [I have been] begging him for certain changes, and he pulled through.
“He did those and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them. It’s still very early days in the season, so we just have to keep chasing. It’s actually easier to chase than it is to defend, I would say.
“So, whilst these guys are very quick and they’re an amazing team, we’re going to keep pushing, keep chasing, and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.”
Those comments underline the growing optimism inside Ferrari. After several seasons spent searching for consistency, the team now appears to have a stronger platform on which to build, with Hamilton increasingly comfortable in his new environment.
Despite the encouraging signs, Hamilton is under no illusion about the challenge that remains.
The Briton spent the opening phase of the Monaco Grand Prix battling race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli, providing him with a close-up view of where Mercedes currently hold the advantage.
“Unfortunately, we both basically got pretty much the same starts,” Hamilton said.
“I think I gained on him just a little bit and I was almost to his rear wheel, but not enough to pop me in the lead, unfortunately. And then as we got going, I just got to see him pull away.
“The performance they have is next level, so it was a good experience because it gives me a much better idea of where I need to have the team lean and improve, not only from what I'm feeling, but what I'm seeing as well. And, yeah, there's lots of things that we need to react to.
"Just general performance. Downforce-wise, clearly they're above us, and then, obviously, the power. For us here, power's not such an issue. It's just downforce.
"You can see just on traction, those guys were night and day different to us. Hopefully we've got some performance coming, and the guys are working pretty hard back in the factory, so I hope that they're happy with this result.”
With three podiums already secured this season, improved reliability, and growing confidence within the team, Hamilton’s belief that Ferrari are moving in the right direction is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
A first Ferrari victory may not have arrived yet, but if Monaco was any indication, the wait could soon be over.
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