LEWIS HAMILTON described his chances of securing a first victory for Ferrari this season as far-fetched but maintained his hope for a podium finish during the final eight races.
The seven-time Formula One world champion has not finished in the top three during his debut campaign with the Italian team after leaving Mercedes at the end of last year.
Hamilton’s last race win came at the Belgian Grand Prix in July 2024, marking his 105th career victory.
Ferrari have not won a race since Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag in Mexico City last October.
The sport’s most successful driver told reporters that a win seemed unlikely given his recent performances.
He expressed his desire to achieve a podium finish for the team at some stage this season.
Hamilton remains one of only three current drivers to have won at Baku’s City Circuit, having triumphed with Mercedes in 2018.
Ferrari have historically performed well at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix venue.
McLaren’s current championship leader Oscar Piastri won last year’s race with Charles Leclerc starting on pole position for the fourth consecutive season.
The British driver has stood on the podium in every year of his record-breaking career that began with McLaren in 2007.
He experienced his first winless season in 2022 and had another blank year in 2023.
Hamilton revealed he had identified several areas for improvement after Ferrari’s home race at Monza on September 7.
He stated that he now needs to work on implementing these changes effectively.
The driver expressed his hope that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend could mark the beginning of this improvement process.
In a separate interview with French newspaper L’Equipe, Hamilton confirmed he has no plans to retire soon.
He expressed gratitude that double world champion Fernando Alonso continues to compete with Aston Martin at the age of 44. – Reuters
