Lewis Hamilton unwinds in New York after podium-less debut Ferrari season
Lewis Hamilton is relaxing in New York after a difficult first year with Ferrari, where he finished sixth and failed to score a podium for the first time in his F1 career. His off-season break comes before intense preparation for the 2026 season, despite his stated concerns about the new regulations.
After a challenging debut season with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton is spending his Christmas break in New York to rest and reflect before preparations for the 2026 season intensify. The seven-time World Champion finished a career-low sixth in the standings in 2025, failing to secure a single podium for the first time in his 19-year F1 career.
Why it matters:
Hamilton's move to Ferrari was one of the most significant driver transfers in F1 history, ending his historic, title-winning partnership with Mercedes. His subsequent struggle to adapt and compete at the front in the SF-25 marks a stark new chapter for the sport's most successful driver, raising questions about his and Ferrari's competitive trajectory heading into the new 2026 regulations.
The details:
- Hamilton shared photos from his New York trip on Instagram, calling the city an "inspiring and insightful place" where it's easy to "reflect and tap into our shared creativity and humanity."
- He was also pictured spending time with actor Michael B. Jordan during his stay.
- His 2025 season statistics underscore the difficulty: he amassed 186 points, finishing 86 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the championship.
- The season marked the end of his record-breaking streak of podium finishes, which had lasted from his debut in 2007 through the 2024 campaign.
The big picture:
The 2025 season represented a profound shift. After winning six of his seven world titles with Mercedes, Hamilton's first year in red was defined by a lack of competitiveness. While teammate Leclerc managed to extract more from the car, Hamilton consistently struggled, highlighting the difficulty of adapting to a new car philosophy and team environment late in a career. The performance gap to his teammate will be a key area of focus for internal analysis at Maranello.
What's next:
Attention now turns fully to 2026. Hamilton has indicated that preparation for the new season and the sweeping new technical regulations has been underway for "several months." However, he has also publicly expressed a lack of faith in the upcoming 2026 ruleset, issuing a warning to fans about the nature of the cars. His ability to rebound, coupled with Ferrari's project to build a competitive car under the new rules, will be one of the central narratives of the next F1 season.