Lewis Hamilton says he “couldn’t be closer” to a primary grand prix victory for Ferrari amid his greatest run of kind since becoming a member of the Italian staff.
The seven-time world champion endured a disappointing debut marketing campaign with Ferrari after becoming a member of from Mercedes forward of the 2025 season, however has made a much more encouraging begin to his second marketing campaign in crimson.
After claiming his first grand prix podium for Ferrari in China in March, Hamilton has added back-to-back second locations in Canada and Monaco over the past two rounds.
These outcomes have lifted the 41-year-old to second within the Drivers’ Championship, albeit 66 factors again from Kimi Antonelli, who has gained every of the final 5 races for Mercedes.
Requested after Sunday’s race in Monaco how shut he feels a primary win for Ferrari is, Hamilton, who holds F1’s all-time document with 105 victories, replied: “I imply, it could not be nearer.
“But it’s still 66 points. I can’t believe that I’m second in the championship and I’m really happy and thankful for that.”
‘I will do my greatest to chase down Antonelli’
Antonelli changed Hamilton at Mercedes final yr and after a difficult rookie marketing campaign, has exceeded all expectations by dominating the early phases of the 2026 season.
The 19-year-old Italian is prospering within the system that helped Hamilton to 6 of his seven titles, with Antonelli working below the management of Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff and having additionally inherited the Brit’s former race engineer Peter Bonnington.
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After ending on the rostrum alongside Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton joked that he was older than the 2 mixed!
Hamilton stated: “He (Antonelli) is doing a phenomenal job. He’s got an amazing team around him with Bono, with Toto and the whole team. And I’m really happy to see them doing what they do best. And then for him in this moment to be delivering on the level that he’s delivering at, it’s awesome to see.
“It simply encourages me to wish to stage up, and I feel encourages all people desirous to stage up. And he is solely 19, so simply think about what the longer term holds for him.
“But I’m going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year. And as I said, just really, it’s a real privilege to witness it, be on the podium with two of the youngest guys here. Very much kind of remind me of me when I was back in 2007.”
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Lewis Hamilton inspects Kimi Antonelli’s W17 Mercedes automobile after the Italian gained the Monaco GP.
‘I am having to remind individuals who I’m’
Hamilton’s disappointing 2025 marketing campaign, throughout which there have been instances when he appeared to lose self-belief, led to hypothesis over how lengthy he would stay within the sport.
He erased any short-term doubt over his future in Canada final month when he stated he meant to be round for years to come back amid folks “trying to retire” him.
Having backed up second in Montreal with the identical lead to Monaco, a monitor the place he had failed to assert a podium in his 5 earlier appearances, Hamilton felt he had delivered one other assertion.
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Watch the 360-degree onboard digital camera as Lewis Hamilton overtook Max Verstappen for second on the Canadian Grand Prix.
He stated: “To have two seconds, especially I think with a good race in Montreal, and everyone was kind of like, ‘yeah, but he’s quick there’.
“I really feel like I am in a interval the place I am having to remind folks of who I’m, and I feel my followers final yr had been telling me to remind me of who I’m, and now I am having to indicate up every weekend and take a look at to try this.
“I think it’s great to see that it’s like a rejuvenated love in the team, and I think their belief also in me and the decision in hiring me and everything. So, I’m very happy.”
‘Vasseur made adjustments I used to be begging for’
Hamilton reserved particular reward for Ferrari staff principal Fred Vasseur as he reiterated his perception that adjustments he demanded throughout his first yr with the staff at the moment are paying off.
“I couldn’t have done that without this team, without the reliability that we have, and also with Fred,” Hamilton added.
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After months of showing on Lewis Hamilton’s socials, Kim Kardashian makes her first Grand Prix paddock look on the Monaco Grand Prix.
“Fred has been awesome in supporting me. I think last year was really tough for both of us and [I’ve been] begging him for certain changes, and he pulled through and he did those, and now I’m seeing the fruits of that and I’m able to finally deliver for them.
“I feel it is nonetheless very early days within the season, so we simply need to maintain chasing. It is really simpler to chase than it’s to defend, I might say, in life.
“And so, whilst these guys are very quick and they’re an amazing team, we’re going to keep pushing, keep chasing, and I have no doubt at some stage we’re going to get there.”
Components 1 heads straight to Spain for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with stay protection on Sky Sports activities F1 from this Friday. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
