Ferrari figure ‘impressed’ by what he’s seen ‘hungry’ Lewis Hamilton do that proves he’s not close to F1 retirement

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Lewis Hamilton has not enjoyed the start to his Ferrari career that the 40-year-old set out to achieve, leading some to suggest the Briton is close to retiring from Formula 1.

The seven-time champion joined the Scuderia ahead of the 2025 F1 season, as Hamilton bid on Ferrari providing him with a quicker route back to the top after three disappointing years at Mercedes. But his move to Maranello has yielded his worst start to a season in his career.

Never before had Hamilton failed to reach the rostrum in the first 10 rounds of an F1 season before donning the iconic red overalls. Yet the Stevenage-born star has now failed to score a Grand Prix podium finish in his first 12 rounds as a Ferrari driver in his 19th term on the grid.

Hamilton is even only sixth in the F1 drivers’ championship with 103 points, representing his worst total after 12 rounds since Formula 1 changed its point-scoring system to 25 points for a win in 2010. It is also despite having two F1 Sprints and Hamilton winning the China Sprint.

Lewis Hamilton’s hunger to win an eighth F1 title at Ferrari stuns Dino Beganovic

Hamilton could not stop pinching himself upon joining Ferrari and seeing thousands of Tifosi line the streets around Fiorano for his first outings in red. But the 2025 F1 season also marks the first time Hamilton did not get 100 or more points in the first 12 Grands Prix since 2010.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

But the hunger that Hamilton is showing at Ferrari to secure the 105-time Grand Prix winner and 104-time polesitter’s eighth drivers’ title has impressed Dino Beganovic. The Scuderia’s test driver is in awe of the dedication that Hamilton is showing to improve Ferrari’s position.

Beganovic outlined to RacingNews365: “There is a lot to take out of how Charles [Leclerc] is working with the team [and] how Lewis is working with the team. Obviously, he’s won seven world championships in Formula 1 and plenty of races.

“So, the way of working, it’s not different because we are all still hungry to win. But I’m just impressed by how hungry he is at the age he is, pushing so hard to get Ferrari to the top, but also to get himself to that eighth [title].”

Lewis Hamilton’s age is often cited for his problems at Ferrari, and even at Mercedes

Hamilton’s age has regularly been cited as one of the reasons for his problems at Ferrari this term. Even ex-Scuderia chief Mattia Binotto believes Hamilton is ‘at the end’ of his F1 career and stated that it would have been ‘ideal’ if Ferrari had signed the Briton a few years earlier.

James Allen has suggested that Hamilton will never admit that his age is causing his decline, which may only truly be evident if Ferrari can produce a title-winning car during the Briton’s career in Maranello. The Scuderia have not won a drivers’ or teams’ title since 2007 or 2008.

Even Felipe Massa hinted Hamilton’s age was a problem at Mercedes after seeing the seven-time champion no longer display all of the ‘exceptional’ traits that took him to huge success. He especially noted that George Russell won their qualifying head-to-head 18-6 last season.