Lewis Hamilton is not meant to finish P4. The champion knows it. Ferrari understands this form cannot continue, and F1 fans are certainly sick of seeing it weekend after weekend.

The 40-year-old’s first season at Ferrari has been subject to hyperbole, his words or actions obsessively criticised and analysed after his results failed live up to the pre-season hype.

Despite Hamilton’s setbacks in 2025, it would be foolish to count him out altogether. Huge gains do not happen overnight in F1, and Hamilton is slowly starting to adjust to Ferrari race-by-race.

There is also a chance that the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix could be Hamilton’s best weekend yet at Ferrari, and fans could witness the sprinkle of magic we were promised with his signing over a year ago.
Ferrari upgrades offer Hamilton hope
While Ferrari are not yet on the same level of the McLarens, the team have made incremental improvements since the Austrian GP in June.

The team introduced updates to all four facets of the car’s floor – including the fences, edges, central body and diffuser – and both drivers confirmed it was a step forward for the team, regardless of McLaren’s advantage.

A week later at Silverstone, Hamilton displayed his form of old and even looked competitive for pole position on Saturday. However, the SF-25’s poor performance in the wet weather conditions masked Charles Leclerc and Hamilton’s potential, and fundamentally a gulf of time still separated them from McLaren.

One of Ferrari’s main challenges in 2025 has been the issue with their ride height, and their inability to find the right balance to ensure a perfect set-up for races.

Ferrari will test a new rear suspension upgrade on Wednesday, July 16, which they hope, combined with the floor updates, will result in improved performance during the second half of the season.

Hamilton and Leclerc will test the new feature in Mugello, after the upgrade demonstrated positive results in the simulator. If the drivers also deliver promising feedback, then the new rear suspension will be shipped over to Belgium for the next race at Spa-Francorchamps.

The new rear suspension should make Ferrari’s SF-25 less sensitive to ride height and improve the operating window of the tyres, with the combined elements of the new floor and suspension estimated to be worth almost a tenth of a second

If these upgrades are approved and have the intended consequence at Spa, Hamilton may finally have the machinery to fight for a podium with Ferrari.

While matching the McLarens is a big ask, Hamilton demonstrated increased confidence with the car at Silverstone that can only be bolstered with upgrades that orientate the SF-25 in the right direction.

The only hope is that Ferrari are not wasting too much time on understanding the SF-25, that they have neglected their brand new car for 2026 altogether.