Lewis Hamilton says improvement to Ferrari’s communication and race weekend workflows remain a “work in progress” as he reaches the halfway point of his maiden season at the team.
This weekend’s British Grand Prix is the 12th race of the 24-round campaign, with Silverstone to be the first time seven-time champion Hamilton has driven in Ferrari red in front of his home crowd.
Despite high pre-season expectations after a strong finish to 2024, Ferrari’s campaign has largely underwhelmed so far, with the team’s hopes of challenging for the world championship against dominant McLaren not materialising.
Hamilton, meanwhile, continues to adapt to the team car and working practices after 12 years at Mercedes, with the Briton yet to finish on a Grand Prix podium. Team-mate Charles Leclerc has claimed four top-three finishes so far.
With six more months to go until the dawn of one of F1’s biggest-ever rules overhauls, when Ferrari are hoping to finally get back to title-contending ways, Hamilton was asked on Thursday whether he was happy with the team’s preparation of areas outside of the 2026 car itself – such as communication, upgrades and workflows – and if they already had margin in those for the rest of this year.
But he replied: “The answer is no. It’s a work in progress.
“There are changes I’m trying to implement and make. It seems to be quite a slow process but there is change and we are improving.
“You want everything to happen now, as soon as possible.
“This is a year where I am literally trying to build that foundation with the team. We are getting to know each other.
“We both work differently and so there are compromises and there are changes we are making to try and prepare ourselves the best.”
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Martin Brundle takes you through all the best ways to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where last year, Lewis Hamilton claimed a record-breaking ninth win at one circuit
‘I’d never want to do the same thing as my team-mate’ – Hamilton explains Austria strategy request
Speaking beforehand to the written media at Silverstone, Hamilton gave an example of how he felt he and Ferrari were still learning to adapt to each other from last week’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Running several seconds behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in last Sunday’s middle stint in third and fourth places respectively, and with no real threat from Mercedes’ George Russell behind, Hamilton requested to the team’s pit wall to be kept out longer ahead of his second and final pit stop.
However, he was kept on their existing plan and stopped one lap after Leclerc, with the team-mates eventually crossing the line nine seconds apart.
Asked if they had spoken about it since last Sunday, Hamilton said: “Even just probably an hour ago, I brought it up. I mentioned it after the race then we had time to reflect on it.
“I think the team’s best view was they just wanted to make sure they secured third and fourth, which is totally fine. But I said, ‘look I’m not here to start fourth and finish fourth, I’m racing for every little bit that we can gain’.
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Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari made ‘mega progress’ this weekend, which saw the team secure a third and fourth place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix
“In a scenario like that, for example, they had us on exactly the same strategy. I think we went both medium-hard-medium, I said I would have done medium-medium-hard so at least I was offset at the end. I’d never want to do the same thing as my team-mate, ever.
“Then that last stint we were not under pressure from the cars behind and they said ‘yeah, but you would have got overtaken by Charles towards the end. I said ‘well, there could have been a Safety Car. At that point there was no risk in taking a gamble and I said ‘I never want to get to a point where I’m ignoring you, so what we’re doing is we are working on our communication.
“We are still getting to know each other and how we like to operate, and that’s understood.”
Sky Sports F1’s British GP schedule
Friday July 4
8.45am: F3 Practice
9.55am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the British Grand Prix
Saturday July 5
9.10am: F3 Sprint
11.15pm: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING*
4.55pm: F4 Race 1
5.40pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 6
8.15am: F4 Race 2
9.25am: F3 Feature Race
11am: F2 Feature Race
1.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up*
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX*
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction*
6pm: Ted’s Notebook*
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Next up in the 2025 Formula 1 season is the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone – live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase with coverage from Thursday to Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.
