Hamilton signals Ferrari ambitions after stunning revival ahead of Monaco

Lewis Hamilton has reflected on his ambitions with Ferrari following a notable upturn in form, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The seven-time world champion endured a challenging debut campaign in 2025 with the Maranello outfit, but has seen a clear improvement this year, finishing on the podium twice in the first five races. He credits team principal Fred Vasseur and the behind-the-scenes work for the turnaround.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's revival puts him back in contention for wins and strengthens his legacy at Ferrari. After a difficult 2025 where he failed to achieve any podiums, his resurgence shows he can still compete at the highest level, and that the Scuderia is making progress under Vasseur.

The details:

• Hamilton decided to step away from the simulator due to lack of correlation with real-world performance, a move that sparked his improved form.
• Behind the scenes: “Most people do not realise the work that is done… For me, I have come to a team where every inch of this team means so many things,” Hamilton told GPblog and other outlets.
• Vasseur's support: “Fred has been great in working with me… He has set this up many times better than I have, actually.”
• Results: Two podiums in early 2026 compared to none in his maiden year. He finished on the podium in Montreal, much closer to the front-runners.
• Monaco outlook: Ralf Schumacher backed Hamilton to outshine Leclerc, pointing to Hamilton's strong demeanour in Canada: “He just delivered… Charles Leclerc had been like that all weekend. You can see how fast it can go.”

What's next:

Hamilton aims to carry momentum into Monaco, a track where he hasn't finished ahead of Leclerc in the last two editions. His last top-five finish in Monaco was fourth in 2023 with Mercedes. A strong result would further reinforce his commitment to steering Ferrari in the right direction. “The sailing is still a long way to go,” he added, “but we still need to move forward.”