Lewis Hamilton achieved his first podium with Ferrari

After a 2025 year far from the first places, the Englishman was third in China and took his first trophy in a race since arriving at the Scuderia.

Lewis Hamilton had always dreamed of racing for Ferrari. At least that’s what he confessed himself. However, it seemed that it would remain unfinished. The Englishman had been at Mercedes for 12 seasons, a team with which he had won six titles to reach Michael Schumacher’s seven (he came with one from his time at McLaren). In addition, the calendar ran. However, the personal interest of John Elkann, president of Ferrari, unlocked everything and, at the age of 40, Lewis dressed in red. His time at the Scuderia began in 2025, after a full orchestra presentation in Maranello. Elkann wanted Hamilton to win the eighth crown with Ferrari. And Hamilton wanted (wants) to reach eight dressed in red. However, love started very badly.

Hamilton’s (and Ferrari’s in general) 2025 was very bad. The Scuderia did not win a race all year and only Charles Leclerc was able to visit the podium. Frédéric Vasseur, team director, made a strong decision in April. Seeing that the McLarens would be unattainable, he determined to close the 2025 program and put all the resources into the design and construction of the 2026 car, which would arrive under new regulations. The decision was strong, because the Italian team threw an entire year overboard.

The final races of last year were a struggle for Lewis. I couldn’t even get past Q1. YesHis gestures were clear and his spirit was low. Rumors even began to circulate that he would retire at the end of the year. The seven-time champion had to clarify that he had the strength to continue and that he wanted to succeed dressed in red.

Vasseur’s bet didn’t turn out so badly: Ferrari is the best of the rest. The SF-26 is far behind Mercedes (they are on another planet) and Hamilton started the year with fourth place in Australia, just behind his teammate. And China arrived, the only place where he had had a smile with Ferrari when he won the 2025 sprint. And it is clear that he likes Shanghai because he was third in the race, ahead of Leclerc.

It will be a matter of Mandinga or twists of fate, who knows, but Hamilton’s first podium with Ferrari occurred in a celebration full of Mercedes. He shared the awards ceremony with Kimi Antonelli, his replacement in the Arrows, George Russell, his former teammate, and Peter Bonnington, his track engineer in the 12 seasons at Mercedes.

Hamilton fought inch by inch with his Ferrari teammate and at some point it seemed that they would come to blows. “That battle with Charles at the end was awesome. A great wheel-to-wheel fight, very fair and just what we wanted. We have to keep pushing and this is the largest crowd I have ever seen in Shanghai,” Lewis said.

“I have to say a huge congratulations to Kimi, I’m very happy for you mate, and I feel very honored to be able to share this moment with him. He took my place in this great team, so a big congratulations to Mercedes. They are really taking the lead at the moment and we have a lot of work to do to try to keep up with them. I had a lot of fun and we were off to a great start. “I couldn’t keep these guys behind, but staying in the fight was one of the most fun races I’ve had in a long time, if not the best,” added the seven-time world champion.

The Englishman reached 203 podiums in Formula 1, the first with Ferrari. Lewis had not participated in the awards ceremony since the 2024 Las Vegas GP, when he was second with Mercedes. The next big challenge for the Englishman will be to reach his 106th victory and add success with Ferrari.