Hamilton bullish on Ferrari momentum: ‘This is just the beginning’

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari’s recent surge is only the first chapter of a much bigger story, with the seven-time world champion insisting the iconic Italian team is still laying the foundations for a genuine return to Formula 1’s summit.

After several years of near misses and unfulfilled promise, Ferrari has begun showing encouraging signs of progress.

Consecutive podium finishes for Hamilton in Monaco and Canada have injected fresh optimism into the Italian outfit. For the Briton, those results are more than isolated successes. They are evidence that the hard work being carried out behind the scenes is starting to bear fruit.

‘Just the beginning’ for Ferrari

Since arriving at Maranello, Hamilton has spoken openly about the scale of the challenge facing Ferrari. Turning one of Formula 1’s most famous teams back into a championship-winning force was never going to happen overnight.

Yet despite a difficult first campaign in red, the Briton believes the team is heading firmly in the right direction.

Asked whether Ferrari could capitalize if Mercedes were to stumble in the championship fight, Hamilton made it clear that the Scuderia's focus remains firmly on its own development.

“It’s going to be tough to beat Mercedes and I think we’re just working on focusing on ourselves and just trying to improve each weekend. This is just the beginning really for us as a team,” he said.

“Obviously, coming off a difficult year, I’ve seen the changes into this year, which is really positive, and I think we’re moving in the right direction, but this is not it. We’ve got more to come, we’ve got more improvements to make.

“I hope we can be there for a scenario like that. We exist to win, but I think we don’t exist to win by default. We exist to win through pure performance, and that is what we are working towards.”

Those comments underline a philosophy that Hamilton has repeatedly championed throughout his career: success must be earned through speed, execution and relentless improvement rather than circumstance.

Encouraging signs despite tricky Friday

While Ferrari arrived in Barcelona carrying momentum, Hamilton’s own Friday running offered limited opportunities to fully assess the team's latest developments.

The Briton was among several drivers to hand over his car in FP1 as several teams fielded their rookie drivers before he returned for the afternoon practice session. He finished ninth fastest, trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc who was fourth overall, but circumstances made meaningful evaluation difficult.

“It’s very hot, obviously. We’ve got very high [tyre] pressures, probably the lowest grip that I’ve had here in any year that I’ve been here. The tyres only last one lap, so that means I had two laps,” Hamilton said, reflecting on the demanding conditions.

Tyre behaviour and degradation left little room to explore Ferrari’s latest upgrades, which were introduced as part of the team's ongoing push to close the gap to the front.

“Too early to say, I couldn’t really feel much, if I’m honest. As I say, I only had two laps really. So we did the first lap, and all the laps afterwards, the tyres were done,” he said.

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Even so, the bigger picture remains positive.

Ferrari’s recent podium streak has provided tangible proof that progress is being made, and Hamilton’s confidence suggests there is a growing belief within the team that its long wait for championship glory can eventually be brought to an end.

The road back to the top remains challenging, but if Hamilton is right, Ferrari's resurgence is no longer a distant ambition—it has already begun.

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