Lewis Hamilton has shared a positive outlook for his second Formula 1 season with Ferrari, saying he is “constantly inspired” upon visits to Maranello.
The Brit suffered the worst season of his career to date in 2025, failing to finish on the podium for the first time in 19 campaigns.
Hamilton’s misery was exacerbated by the upswell of expectation and excitement that the highly-anticipated switch to Ferrari had brought.
Much of the seven-time World Champion’s woes came from the SF-25 car, which proved to be hard to handle for both himself and team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The uncompetitive year left the Scuderia finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, quite the comedown from narrowly missing out on winning it the season previously.
But Hamilton, who often cut a dejected figure in the paddock in 2025, ended it with a far more optimistic perspective ahead of a crunch second season with the Italian giants.
“I’ll never compare [Ferrari] to another team, just because it is so different,” Hamilton told media, including Motorsport Week.
“I’m constantly inspired when I go back to the factory, every time it is the most amazing feeling.
“There is just something romantic when you go to Ferrari, with the brand, and there is great harmony in the team, even with all the ups and downs that we’ve been having.
“Everyone is just so focused on taking the learnings from 2025 to build a better future, and that encourages me every time I go back to the factory.
“Of course, there are areas we need to improve; we’ve spoken about those, and that’s what we’re working on.”
Hamilton’s return to the cockpit will be in less than two weeks’ time, when he and the other 21 drivers will put the brand-new challengers through their paces at the Circuit de-Barcelona Catalunya in the first official pre-season test.
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