Lewis Hamilton is still chasing F1 glory with Ferrari, despite a rough start.

Lewis Hamilton is still chasing an eighth Drivers’ Championship title (Image: Getty)

Jock Clear, Lewis Hamilton’s former performance engineer at Mercedes, believes that the seven-time world champion can still add another to his collection and end Ferrari’s title drought, provided he is given time to adapt.

Hamilton arrived in Maranello hoping to become the Scuderia’s first Drivers’ champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, but after winning the sprint race in Shanghai in round two of the 2025 campaign, his form steadily declined, and persistent qualifying struggles undermined his race pace on Sundays.

The legendary Brit ended the season without a podium finish for the first time in his glittering F1 career, and finished over 80 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the standings. Many pundits started to write Hamilton off, but the 41-year-old still harbours dreams of becoming an eight-time world champion before retiring from the sport.

Speaking to CasinoHawks, Clear offered reasons for optimism. “I remind people that when Michael [Schumacher] went to Ferrari, it took the team five years before he won anything,” he explained.

“It doesn’t happen overnight, and I said to a few people, sort of middle of the season, I know Lewis really had a tough time last year, dealing with how difficult the challenge was. It’s reassuring to remind people how difficult F1 is.

“If Lewis arrived and just won an eighth championship, it sort of demeans or belittles the sport somewhat. You look at Carlos [Sainz] at Williams, after 5 races, people were like ‘oh, what’s happened? I thought he was going to blow Alex Albon away’.

The 2025 season was a struggle for Hamilton (Image: Getty)

“Look at him by the end of the year. It doesn’t happen overnight. I think part of that frustration for Lewis is probably that he knows that. But, coming back to the spotlight that Ferrari was under. So, he just needs time.

“Lewis is not going to give up just because 2025 was tough. He foresaw it being very tough. Hamilton will come back stronger and harder next year, work on the development, and do everything he can do to see the project through.”

Ferrari have a unique opportunity in 2026 as Fred Vasseur’s squad look to bounce back in the first year of the new technical regulations. However, with positive noises coming out of the Mercedes camp, the legendary Italian constructor faces a nervous wait until pre-season testing starts later this month.

In the meantime, Hamilton has been enjoying a winter reset, taking time away from the spotlight and social media to recharge with friends and family. The Stevenage-born driver celebrated his 41st birthday earlier this week while on a snowsports holiday in the United States.