Lewis Hamilton makes Ferrari revelation after 'challenging' period

Lewis Hamilton has dropped a revealing insight into the "fun" he is discovering with this year's new-look F1 cars as he leaves behind the "challenge" he encountered in his debut year with Ferrari last season.

After winning six of his seven F1 titles during a glorious period with Mercedes, Hamilton opted to fulfil a long-held dream by driving for Ferrari, only for 2025 to turn into a nightmare.

For the first time in his 19-season career, Hamilton failed to finish on the podium in a grand prix, with the only highlight being a sprint race victory at the second event of the year in China.

As the season progressed, and in particular given that Ferrari stopped upgrading the car aerodynamically at the end of April, Hamilton became more and more sullen. His mood darkened to such a point at the end of the year that questions were raised as to whether he would continue.

The 41-year-old, however, has come bouncing into this season, and despite initial scepticism over F1's new era, it appears he is warming to the cars and to life with Ferrari

"It's definitely been a challenge," said Hamilton, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, of his time with the Scuderia. "One that I've enjoyed for the most part.

"Having had a year now with the team, everything's much more settled, the ins and outs of the working relationships, so I'm really, really excited about this season.

"Everyone's shown up with great positivity. Even at the end of last year, as I travelled around the workshop to go and see people before Christmas, you could see the empathy within the team and the hunger.

"Then to see them show up this year, it's a really positive feeling."

From 'on edge' to 'fun' for Hamilton

One reason for Hamilton's growing optimism is the fact he has left behind the ground-effect era of cars, which never suited his style of driving.

The changes made to the new cars, despite the initial frustration with the battery management, have put a smile back on his face.

Explaining the nature of the current car, he said:  "We have a little less downforce. But you still have to discover the grip, to utilise the grip.

"There are still so many elements that are completely under our control. It's just different and new, and I find it quite fun. The cars are more fun to drive, to be honest.

"They're easier to correct, and so you can have snaps and keep it on track, whereas the previous year's cars were just a bit too on edge."