Lewis Hamilton has expressed his determination to avoid the same disappointments that plagued Ferrari’s former star drivers as the Italian team introduces a major upgrade package at Spa this weekend. The seven-time world champion is adamant that he will not let history repeat itself as Ferrari ramps up efforts to challenge McLaren and Red Bull.
Ferrari’s latest upgrade includes a redesigned rear suspension and an updated rear wing, both developed under the leadership of Loic Serra, Hamilton’s former colleague from Mercedes. This marks one of Ferrari’s most significant development pushes in recent times, signaling their ambition to close the performance gap with their main rivals. However, Hamilton admitted that the team might need several races to fully optimize the new components, even though he welcomed the sight of fresh parts being delivered to the car.
The British driver has been heavily involved in Ferrari’s development program. During the summer break, Hamilton spent several days at Maranello, holding discussions with Ferrari president John Elkann, team principal Frederic Vasseur, and key technical figures, including Serra. He revealed that he had submitted detailed reports to the team, suggesting structural changes and providing specific feedback about the car to help drive improvements for both the current season and 2025.
Hamilton stressed that he is using his vast experience from McLaren and Mercedes to ensure he doesn’t share the same fate as previous Ferrari legends such as Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel—great drivers who never secured a championship with Ferrari in recent years. The 40-year-old emphasized that winning with Ferrari is his ultimate goal and that he is willing to go above and beyond to achieve it, noting that he doesn’t have as much time left in the sport compared to young talents like his Mercedes successor, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli.
Teammate Charles Leclerc, who also tested the new suspension during Ferrari’s filming day at Mugello, shared a more cautious outlook. While he acknowledged that the update is a step in the right direction, Leclerc warned that it may take time before the benefits are fully realized on track. For Hamilton, however, the sense of urgency is clear—he believes it’s now or never in his quest to deliver Ferrari a long-awaited championship.
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