I’m looking forward to coming back,” Lewis Hamilton barely murmured, “Hopefully I’ll be back, yeah.” So there he was, mumbling something about the next race after F1’s summer break. And honestly, it sounded dramatic at first. But you know, his whispery tone often masks his true feelings.
People have seen this Hamilton mood in F1 before—quiet, one-word answers when he’s down. It’s like a signal, yet it leaves everyone guessing, sometimes mishearing, and oops, assumptions start flying. Hungary was one highlight (or lowlight, really). After qualifying, he labeled himself “absolutely useless,” said the team was all good because the car secured pole. His words morphed into wild rumors about ditching Ferrari, midseason and all. But that’s way over the top—classic Hamilton drama, right?
Toto Wolff, his old boss, weighed in: “That’s Lewis for you, heart bared and all,” talking about raw moments when he felt crappy about his performance. Since forever, even as a young gun, he beats himself up—emotionally, I mean. But hey, GOAT status doesn’t change just ’cause of a tough race weekend.
Wolff wasn’t reflective, just tying Lewis’s usual downbeat mood to his journey of ups and downs. F1 still matters for Hamilton, there’s this unfinished business vibe. Wolff said, “Mercedes might not have nailed recent regulations, no happiness with that ground-effect car, and Lewis felt it too. Kinda makes you wonder if it’s his driving style clashing.” Anyway, next year promises brand-new cars and power units—sounds like an intriguing playground for a seven-time champ.
But does Hamilton have it in him to snag title number eight? Wolff goes, “If the car vibes with him, absolutely yes. If not, like those off-seasons with Mercedes or subpar Ferrari, well, maybe not.” “He’s still got it,” sums it up nicely, doesn’t it?
Switching from Mercedes to Ferrari is monumental, and both crazy exciting and tough. Hamilton’s been glimpsing victory—fastest in Sprint qualifying, winning the Sprint in China too, even if grand prix podiums are still playing hard-to-get. He’s close, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc by just one spot and 42 points. It’s a transition—a dive into totally new waters after over a decade with Wolff.
Fred Vasseur, Hamilton’s latest team principal, keeps it grounded—no wild highs, no desolate lows. Budapest had Vasseur talking gaps in qualifying—notably slim ones. Sure, it wasn’t thrilling, but not a downer either.
Also, Belgium the week before—Hamilton nearly matched Leclerc’s times, only to spin out thanks to unfamiliar brake settings and miscalculating track limits at Raidillon. “He bounced back in Miami, matched Charles in loads of races,” Vasseur said. “But yeah, finish the lap. Finish the race. Results might not always shout your development story.”
One rough weekend won’t define it all, though—at Ferrari, Hamilton had high hopes. The team was hunting wins in 2024 and flirting with Constructors’ Championship dreams. Now, they’re a consistent second, not always race-winning hotshots, and that’s a unique kind of pressure.
Demanding drilled into Hamilton, keeps him sharp, says Vasseur. He’s tough on everyone—engineers, mechanics, even himself. It fuels him, this exigency does. But, also, the frustration when things aren’t aligning.
He’ll bounce back. Vasseur mused about the race—that hard tire strategy boxing him into a DRS train. But alone, pace was solid. Monza, with its electric tifosi, might just be his reset button.
Hamilton, now 40, didn’t seem too reflective about things on the last race weekend. But that summer break? Perfect timing. Maybe he’ll disconnect completely from F1, recharge a bit. Or, maybe he’ll dive into a deep what-the-heck-happened analysis. Either way, he still sees himself making waves.
Ferrari’s soul-searching, fiddling with issues from Budapest, like Leclerc’s late race struggles, may offer clarity. January’s start feels eons ago now. It’s been a gritty year, sure—lots to drain both man and machine. Everyone’s fired up at Ferrari; letting that emotional charge simmer down might help Hamilton and the team rally for a stronger finish.
