Lewis Hamilton showed clear signs of growing confidence in the SF-25 during Friday’s practice sessions at Silverstone, as Ferrari revealed itself as a genuine threat at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
The British driver is on the hunt for a record-extending 10th victory at his home Grand Prix, following on from the remarkable win of 2024.
It ended a winless streak that lasted 945 days before he made the switch to Ferrari from Mercedes at the end of the season.
Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari has been solid but unspectacular so far, with the standout moment coming in China, where he claimed victory in the Sprint Race.
A podium finish has continued to elude him, Ferrari taking a slight step forward in Austria — Charles Leclerc securing another top-three finish while Hamilton crossed the line in fourth.
Few would have expected Ferrari to show such early promise at Silverstone, with Hamilton setting the pace in FP1 by going fastest.
After FP2, he reflected on what turned out to be an encouraging start to the weekend when speaking to Sky Sports F1.
“It was a really good day,” he said. “Great to see the crowd, amazing to see, to be out on track in a Ferrari here at Silverstone – it’s been pretty incredible.
“And also, with the Red Bull and McLaren [both having] an upgrade, for us to be in the mix still, given that they’ve had a step today, it’s really positive.”
Hamilton growing in confidence with SF-25
Hamilton also revealed he’s beginning to feel more at ease with the SF-25, despite some struggles in the second session.
“Yeah, well, I mean, I’m progressing a lot now with the car and much more comfortable in knowing where it needs to be,” he added.
“I think by FP2 we still weren’t where we needed to be.
“So in FP2 we definitely struggle a little bit more, but we know the changes that we need to make for the next session.”
READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton tops British GP FP1 for Ferrari
