"A win is a bit far-fetched": Lewis Hamilton makes brutal admission regarding his performance with Ferrari this year

Lewis Hamilton feels that it would be difficult for him to climb the top step of the podium in the 2025 F1 season, considering his performance so far. He mentioned that while winning a race might be a "far-fetched" idea, he would aim to get into the top three in the remaining races.

The Briton moved to Ferrari this season, ending a decade-old stint with Mercedes. While this was an extremely hyped move, it did not yield very competitive results. It took Hamilton a long time to get acquainted with the car. Moreover, the SF-25 was incredibly hard to balance, making it very difficult for both drivers to deliver consistent results.

Yet, Charles Leclerc managed to get on the podium multiple times, all while Lewis Hamilton struggled to keep himself within the midfield. Heading towards the Azerbaijan GP next, Hamilton's best finish is a P4.

Speaking to the media about his aspirations in the remaining season, Lewis Hamilton admitted that a victory is "far-fetched." However, he still feels like he can get within the top three finishers in a race, owing to the fact that his teammate has scored multiple podiums.

"A win is a bit far-fetched considering I've been sixth, seventh and eighth for most of the season," Hamilton said (via Sky F1). "I would love to get a podium for the team at some stage, Charles has had five of them."

He then expressed his strong feelings heading into Baku for the race.

"I feel optimistic coming into the weekend. I feel like I've found a couple of things and now I need to work on extracting them. So I really hope that this weekend can be the start of that."

The first day in Baku turned out to be extremely positive for Hamilton as he topped the charts at the end of the second practice session, with Leclerc following him up in second place.

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Lewis Hamilton highlights progress after positive Friday

Lewis Hamilton pilots the Ferrari SF-25 during the Friday practice session in Baku, 2025 (Getty Images)

Ferrari proved to be extremely competitive during the second practice session of the Azerbaijan GP. Their drivers topped the timing charts with Lewis Hamilton leading. This is one of the few times that he has managed to top a session this season, considering his struggles with the car.

Speaking to the media, he mentioned the progress the team has made recently, owing to the lack of performance they showcased early in the season.

"I’m really happy to see the progress and it just goes to show the direction we’ve been going as a team. I’m really, really grateful for everyone’s patience and everyone pushing so hard, because we’re really starting to see the progress come through," Hamilton said (via F1).

While Ferrari is not in contention to challenge for the Constructors' Championship this season, they sit in second place in the standings. Mercedes has been closing the gap up right behind them; however, inconsistencies from both teams have kept the gap almost equal in recent races.