Hamilton's touch still sharp, says Hill

Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula 1 world champion, believes Lewis Hamilton's resurgence with Ferrari this season demonstrates the seven-time world champion's enduring influence and potential to return to winning form. Hamilton experienced a challenging first year with Ferrari in 2025, finishing sixth in the standings and significantly behind teammate Charles Leclerc, failing to secure a single podium finish. However, his performance has dramatically improved this season, marked by a dominant victory in Barcelona and four additional podium results, propelling him to second overall before the summer break.

Hill suggests that Hamilton will not passively adapt to Ferrari's existing structure. Instead, he anticipates Hamilton will actively use his status and extensive experience to guide the Italian team's development in a direction that suits his driving style and needs. "He will win in whatever he does, I don't think it's easy for him to just step back and give up," Hill told F1.com.

"He worked hard over the winter and clearly he's also working on shaping Ferrari to what he wants," Hill added. He pointed out that Ferrari's substantial investment in acquiring Hamilton grants the British driver significant leverage to voice his requirements and play a more substantial role in shaping the team's development trajectory. "He wants to tell them what he's doing and ask the team to adapt it to his needs, so that power and reputation that he has is used to protect himself, and he absolutely should do that," Hill stated.