Lewis Hamilton said he plans to go off-grid over the winter break as he reflects on a nightmare first season at Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion shook up the racing world last year when he announced he was moving to the Scuderia after 12 largely successful years at Mercedes, where he won six of his titles.
The move paired the sport’s most successful driver with its most successful team. Expectations were high, especially after Ferrari narrowly missed out on last year's constructors' title to McLaren. But 2025 has been the worst of Hamilton's 18-year Formula One career, while Ferrari dropped down to fourth in the final standings.
Hamilton could only finish eighth at Sunday's season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and sixth overall in the drivers' standings. It was the first time in his career he had failed to score a podium finish.
The final three races were marred by consecutive first-phase qualifying exits, leading many to question whether next year will offer any hope of improvement.
The Briton acknowledged the move to Ferrari had not panned out how either party had envisioned this year, and that he planned to use the F1 winter break to recalibrate – starting by binning his phone to
Continue Reading on The National UAE
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.