Lewis Hamilton was all smiles on arrival in the Lusail International Circuit paddock, ready to give his best in the final Sprint weekend of the season.

A learning year. In today’s FIA press conference, Lewis was asked to sum up the 2025 season, with the finish line now in sight after what has undoubtedly been a challenging year for the whole team. “I would define it as a season in which we got our heads down and did all we could to learn as much as possible,” he said. “We knew it would be a complex year, but there are many positives to take from it and we intend to build on them as a team for next season.” As for a comparison with his team-mate, Lewis had this to say: “We know what being in the same environment for seven years brings and Charles has done a great job. This year, I focused on myself and on creating the right chemistry with the team. The aim is to have a better starting package in 2026, to which we can apply all the information we’ve acquired this year. There’s a winter of hard work ahead of us, but I’ve no doubt about the choices I made when I decided to come and race for Scuderia Ferrari HP.”

Expectations. Lewis then turned to his outlook for the weekend. “I think our car can be competitive here and we must be ready to seize opportunities presented by the Sprint format. We’ll do our best but the part of the field we are in is very tight, so working on every little detail will be essential.”