Lewis Hamilton reveals he is more focused on internal changes at Ferrari than on the significant upgrades the team is introducing this weekend. The seven-time world champion was brought to Scuderia amidst much fanfare this year, but the desired results have been lacking so far. After eleven Grand Prix and only one sprint victory in Shanghai, the 40-year-old Brit seems to be shifting his focus towards building a strong foundation for 2026.
Compared to last year’s competitiveness – when Ferrari won as many as five Grand Prix – the team has taken a step back in 2025. So far, Ferrari has only achieved three podium finishes, all credited to Charles Leclerc. Newcomer Lewis Hamilton, who has repeatedly shown discomfort behind the wheel of his red car, has not progressed beyond a fourth-place finish – his notable performances in the sprint races notwithstanding.
During the upcoming race weekend in Austria, the team is introducing a significant upgrade. Ferrari hopes to boost the performance of the SF-25. The most eye-catching feature? A brand new floor. “The team has worked hard on developing a new floor,” Hamilton explained via the official Formula 1 channels. “I really don’t know what step we can take with this, but we will find out soon enough.”
Focus on 2026
Hamilton indicated that he is personally more focused on behind-the-scenes developments. The Briton hopes to lay a solid foundation for 2026, when the new technical regulations may potentially favor Ferrari. “I’m focusing more on changes in the background,” said Hamilton. “Fundamental issues that we need to address to be in a better position in 2026. Of course, you always want upgrades, so I’m grateful for any improvement – big or small. What I mean to say is: don’t expect massive changes.”
“Hopefully we’ll discover something unexpected, but again, we’re not sure. This weekend we’ll see where we stand,” he concluded realistically. “Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction.” Teammate Charles Leclerc hopes that the upgrade will result in an overall increase in downforce. “We have problems – we’re aware of that – and we’re trying to address them,” he explained in turn. “In the slow corners, we’ve been very weak so far. Are we going to try to improve our low-speed performance? Yes. Is there a specific weakness? Honestly, I don’t think so. We’re just lacking the overall downforce you need at low speed. Let’s wait and see if it goes better this weekend.”
