Hamilton Aims to Ignite Ferrari’s Legacy as Belgian GP Approaches
Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he is determined to leave Ferrari’s Formula One team in better shape than he found it. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari in January, is actively providing input to team leaders on how to enhance both car performance and organizational efficiency.
Ferrari, a storied name in motorsport, last celebrated a drivers’ championship in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen and a constructors’ title in 2008. Hamilton, now 40, believes it’s time for the 75-year-old organization to realize its full potential.
“Over the last 20 years, they’ve had amazing drivers, including world champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel,” Hamilton stated. “But neither had a championship season while part of the Ferrari garage. I refuse for that to be the case with me.”
Despite his illustrious career, Hamilton has yet to reach the podium with Ferrari and currently sits sixth in the drivers’ standings. He has engaged with Ferrari officials and submitted memos outlining necessary changes, starting with improvements to his car.
“It is a huge organization with many moving parts, and not all of them are firing on all cylinders,” he expressed. “That’s ultimately why the team hasn’t had the success it deserves. I feel it’s my job to challenge every area and hold everyone accountable, especially those at the top making the decisions.”
Hamilton noted that Ferrari has been “incredibly responsive” to his feedback, and he is beginning to see meaningful improvements. “If you take the same path all the time, you get the same results. So I’m just challenging certain things,” he added.
With only a limited number of races remaining in his career, Hamilton is focused on contributing to a winning team. “It’s crunch time,” he said. “I truly believe in the potential of this team. They can win multiple world championships moving forward. During my time here, that is my sole goal.”
As the Belgian GP approaches, Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc, who sits fifth in the drivers’ standings, have Ferrari positioned second in the constructors’ championship, though they trail McLaren significantly—222 points to McLaren’s 460.
