One podium missing, criticism growing: Lewis Hamilton returns with a cryptic message—and talks about difficult times
Hamilton wrote: “I am always so grateful for this time, for the opportunity to rest and recharge. There’s a lot I’ve been thinking about. […] We have to keep going, even when it’s difficult.”
That sounds like an interim conclusion to the 2025 Formula 1 season, Hamilton’s first year with traditional team Ferrari – where the seven-time world champion has so far failed to live up to high expectations.
Hamilton has been overshadowed by Leclerc so far
Unlike his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, Hamilton has yet to achieve a Grand Prix podium finish and is still waiting for his breakthrough in red.
The only highlight came on the second race weekend of the year: Hamilton won the sprint race in Shanghai. After that, the Brit lost six consecutive qualifying sessions to Leclerc and finished ahead of Leclerc in only two Grand Prix races. The direct comparison with his teammate is clearly negative for Hamilton going into the summer break.
Criticism of Hamilton grows
Observers have described Hamilton’s time at Ferrari so far as “not the fairy tale we hoped for,” and most recently, team boss Frederic Vasseur admitted to having “underestimated” Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari. Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher even does not rule out Hamilton’s imminent retirement if he continues to lag behind.
It remains unclear whether all this prompted Hamilton to make his emotional post. He himself did not mention Formula 1 in his post, but wrote about “so many things” that he and many others are currently ‘facing’ – “both individually and globally.”
Hamilton continued: “It is so important that we embrace the light of truth and love and take care of ourselves so that we can better take care of others. We cannot look away.”
Hamilton did not elaborate further. The accompanying images also provide no clues: they show Hamilton privately at sunset on a coast, accompanied by a short clip of a sailing ship traveling across the sea.