Earlier than the primary race of the season in Australia the weekend, Hamilton mentioned he has “rediscovered” himself after a troublesome first season at Ferrari final 12 months.
Amid a collection of poor performances in 2025, Hamilton made a collection of adverse feedback about his personal performances, together with that he was “useless” and was “not looking forward” .
He mentioned he spent the winter cultivating a “constructive psychological angle”.
“The break was actually constructive,” he mentioned. “It was my environment. It was the those who I used to be with. It is not my first rodeo. So it is understanding the right way to flip issues. And it is not that straightforward to do every time.
“However I all the time speak about cultivating a constructive psychological angle. And that is what I deal with the winter doing.
“Numerous it got here from coaching. Coaching onerous on Christmas Day. Additionally figuring out that I discover it onerous.
“I imagine in myself that I’ve put extra work in than anybody round me. And I imagine in myself. Rediscovering myself was actually a giant a part of it as effectively.
“As I mentioned in considered one of my [Instagram] posts, I sort of misplaced sight for a second of who I used to be. And that particular person’s gone. You will not see that particular person once more.”
Hamilton mentioned he felt extra settled with Ferrari after a season’s expertise of the “very totally different tradition” on the group from what he knew at Mercedes and McLaren.
“It is massively totally different to the primary 12 months,” he mentioned. “And it is a a lot nicer feeling coming, having spent a 12 months with the group, understanding the tradition, understanding methods, discovering methods of working collectively.
“We’re in place now collectively as a group. And I really feel very gelled with the group at the moment. I am a lot happier.”
Ferrari didn’t win a race in 2025 however are optimistic they begin this season in a extra aggressive place as F1 introduces its largest regulation change in historical past.
Hamilton mentioned: “We’re abandoning the unhealthy and taking the top, shifting ahead with the great. We’re sharp, ready and we all know what we have to do.
“However we additionally know there are huge challenges for all of us with the brand new guidelines and laws.”
Staff-mate Charles Leclerc mentioned: “I desire to be able the place now we have to calm the expectations down somewhat than having to handle a number of negativity across the group. That is all the time a little bit of a greater scenario to be in.
“However in each methods I do not suppose that that is one thing that should change our personal temper contained in the group.”
