(Motorsport-Total.com) – After his long-awaited first Formula 1 win for Ferrari in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton now even has real chances for the dreamed eighth world championship title – and the first in red. Opening winner George Russell has already overtaken Hamilton with his success in Catalonia, so currently “only” Kimi Antonelli stands between him and the top spot.
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The Italian had to accept a technical failure in Barcelona and is currently 41 points ahead of Hamilton at the top. Considering the still long season with 15 planned races, the deficit is quite catchable – especially if Ferrari continues to be on the rise and now even has an engine upgrade in tow.
But Hamilton is not thinking about the world championship yet: “I think from race to race and want to implement it the way we did last weekend, at the last race,” he emphasizes. Currently, it is only important for him to get the optimum out of every weekend, “and not to think about what will happen in 15 races.”
“I really don’t waste a thought on the fact that I’m racing for a world championship,” Hamilton makes clear and explains how strong his focus is on the upcoming weekend in Austria and the next win.
“I think about wanting to win this weekend. That is my goal. I have been working towards that all last week and this week,” says the Ferrari driver. “I didn’t even go out for dinner in the evenings.”
“You focus completely on the sacrifices you have to make to ensure you arrive 100 percent fit so that you can perform for these people. Especially because I know how far-reaching the influence and decisions I make in the car are, and what we do here. Those are the things I think about.”
Proud of the entire team
The 41-year-old emphasizes how “incredibly proud” he is of the entire team in the factory. “It’s just that every single person in this team contributes. Everyone puts in an extra effort, everyone pushes a little more than ever before. And we work more closely and tightly together than ever before,” he says.
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“And to see that the improvements we demand actually come …”, he praises. “They have worked incredibly hard to make this step with the engine. It’s not the whole leap yet, but it’s a step forward. And that’s exactly what we have to keep doing: just put one foot in front of the other.”
The win in Spain was certainly a great relief and a welcome boost for the Brit. His performances have repeatedly been criticized since his arrival at Ferrari, but now Hamilton has proven that he can still deliver at a somewhat older age and can also keep his teammate Charles Leclerc in check, who has 40 points less on the board.
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Reposted stories for hours
Above all, he was pleased that he could give the fans in Italy the hoped-for feeling of victory again after no race wins in the entire 2025 season. How much this means to the Tifosi, he noticed upon his arrival in Maranello, where he was a guest on Thursday and Friday of last week.
“We had events, but already when I landed at the airport, I saw how much it meant to the police officer and the immigration authority and how happy they were,” he describes. “Those were the first Italians I saw after landing. And when I then came to the track and saw how happy everyone was – that was definitely a real breakthrough.”
And that he could make the fans happy also meant a lot to him personally. “And that’s exactly why I repost so much,” says Hamilton.
“People sometimes wonder: What do you actually do after you win a race, after the first Grand Prix you have won? I came home and sat on the sofa for hours to repost all these beautiful stories, videos, and messages from people. And it was really overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming to experience that.”
Hamilton: We have to follow up now
But the seven-time world champion also knows that success is not worth much if Ferrari cannot follow up. “We also have to come back down to earth, do our work, go back to the desks and channel this positive energy into our work,” he emphasizes. “And I think that’s exactly what everyone is trying to do right now.”
“But at the current moment, it just feels great that we have a car with things I asked for, and that we are moving forward together and working extremely well together.”
“And I love driving this car. The car finally has the characteristics I asked for, and I’m starting to implement that on the track now. So that’s the best feeling.”
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