MELBOURNE, Australia — Lewis Hamilton said there were points during his first season with Ferrari that he “lost sight” of who he was, but insisted fans will not see that version of him again.
Hamilton’s Ferrari move did not live up to expectations in 2025 as the seven-time world champion failed to even appear on the podium at a grand prix.
The British driver’s morale and form spiralled at the end of the year and prompted him to go into a digital detox during the off-season, but he’s clearly come into the 2026 campaign reinvigorated.
“[It’s down to] a combination of things,” Hamilton said. “The break was really positive. It was my surroundings. It was the people that I was with. It’s not my first rodeo, so it’s understanding how to flip things and it’s not that easy to do each time. But I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude. And that’s what I focus on my winter doing.
“A lot of it came from training. I was training hard from Christmas Day. Also knowing that I believe in myself, that I’ve put more work in than anyone around me. And I believe in myself and rediscovering myself was really a big part of it as well.
“I think I kind of lost sight for a second of who I was. And that person’s gone. So you won’t see that person again.”
He later added: “I feel great arriving here. Training has been fantastic. The work with the team has been amazing.
“Changes within my own personal space, in how I interact with the team, how the team is working is so much smoother than it was last year.”
Hamilton has made one major change ahead of the new season, splitting with 2025 race engineer Ricardo Adami. He’s yet to confirm a permanent replacement, with Carlo Santi taking on in an interim role.
After a winless and miserable 2025 season, Ferrari appears to have come into the new year in a completely different competitive shape.
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Preseason testing suggested the Italian team has delivered a good car and engine for the new regulations.
Hamilton said everything feels more natural as he enters his second season with the Italian outfit.
When asked how much different it felt with a year of experience under his belt, he said: “Massively. It’s different to the first year and a much nicer feeling coming, having spent a year with the team, understanding the culture, understanding ways, finding ways of working together. And I think we’re in a good place now together as a team. And I feel very gelled with the team today. So, yeah, much happier.”
