Lewis Hamilton revealed that he has been sending documents to Ferrari during 2025 as he bids to ensure his stint with the team doesn’t end without a Formula 1 title.
Ferrari’s relative dip in competitiveness compared to the competition this season has contributed to Hamilton’s debut campaign in red being tougher than anticipated.
The Briton has been candid about his troubles with Ferrari’s capricious SF-25 machine as he has navigated the opening 12 races without a single podium to his name.
That has inspired Hamilton to divulge that he has switched his attention to guaranteeing his desired traits are embedded in the 2026 car that will be built to new rules.
Hamilton has disclosed that he used the three-week gap between rounds to support that process through meetings with senior individuals at Ferrari’s Maranello base.
That included going through reports that he submitted about the issues with the current package that he wants to avoid being prevalent in the successor to the SF-25.
“I was at the factory two weeks, a couple days each week,” Hamilton told media including Motorsport Week in Belgium.
“We did preparation for naturally going over where we were on the previous race, things that we need to change.
“I hold a lot of meetings, so I’ve called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team.
“So I’ve sat with John [Elkann], Benedetto [Vigna] and Fred [Vasseur] in several meetings, I’ve sat with the head of our car development with Loic [Serra[ with also the heads of different departments talking about [the] engine for next year, talking about [the] front suspension for next year, talking about [the] rear suspension for next year, things that you want, issues that you have that I have with this car.
“After the first few races I did a full document for the team. Then during this break I had another two documents that I sent in, so then I come in and want to address those.
“Some of its structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better and all the areas that we want to improve.
“Then the other one was really about the car, the current issues that I have with this car.
“Some things that you do want to take on to the next year’s car and some that you need to work on changing for next year.”
Hamilton eager to sustain same fate as Ferrari predecessors
With Ferrari trailing a comprehensive 238 points behind leaders McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, the team’s title drought since 2008 is poised to continue.
Despite having sported various F1 champions in the period since, the Maranello-based squad has been unable to extend its record as the series’ most decorated side.
Hamilton, though, has proclaimed that he is going the “extra mile” to prevent his time with Ferrari from concluding with the same outcome as his recent predecessors.
“The reason for it is that I see a huge amount of potential within this team,” he expanded. “The passion, nothing comes close to that.
“It is a huge organisation and there’s a lot of moving parts and not all of them are firing on all the cylinders that need to be. That’s why the team’s not had the success that I think it deserves.
“So I feel that it’s my job to challenge absolutely every area to challenge everybody in the team, particularly the guys that are at the top who are making the decisions.
“If you look at the team over the last 20 years they’ve had amazing drivers: you’ve had Kimi, you’ve had Fernando, you’ve had Sebastian. All World Champions, however, they didn’t win a World Championship. And for me I refuse for that to be the case with me, so I’m going the extra mile.
“I’ve obviously been very fortunate to have had experiences in two other great teams, and whilst things are for sure are going to be different because there’s a different culture and everything, I think sometimes if you take the same path all the time you get the same results so I’m just challenging certain things.
“They’ve been incredibly responsive, we’ve been improving in so many areas through marketing, through continuously delivering for sponsors, the way the engineers continue to work.
“There’s lots of work and improvements to be made, but very responsive and I guess ultimately just trying to create allies within the organisation and get them pushing.
“I’m here to win and I don’t have as much time as this one here [Kimi Antonelli], so it’s like it’s crunch time for me. I truly believe in the potential of this team.
“I really, really believe that they can win multiple World Championships moving forward. They really have an amazing legacy, but during my time that’s my sole goal.”
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