Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish at the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix offered a glimmer of hope for Ferrari in what has been a challenging season, even as it underscored the gap to the front-running teams. Starting from 12th on the grid after a difficult qualifying session, Hamilton delivered a strong drive through the field, marking his best main race result since joining the Scuderia.
Though the podium remained out of reach, with Red Bull and McLaren clearly ahead in pace, Hamilton’s performance was a testament to his racecraft and Ferrari’s improved race-day execution. Over the team radio, Hamilton paid tribute to the passionate Ferrari fans: “Grazie a tutti—for the tifosi, that was for them,” he said, recognizing the sea of red in the grandstands at Imola.
In a post-race interview with Sky Sports, Hamilton admitted the team had low expectations following their poor qualifying showing, where both he and teammate Charles Leclerc failed to make it into the top ten. “It’s been tough to swallow,” he said. “But I felt like I won with the car today.”
Hamilton described a sense of connection with the car that had eluded him in recent races. “It felt so great to finally get the setup right. I was ecstatic. I was hoping for more laps because I really felt like we could’ve fought for the podium. Everything came together—the strategy, the pit stops, the balance.”
While Ferrari still faces significant challenges, particularly in qualifying, Hamilton’s drive was a sign of progress. “There’s still work to do, especially over one lap, but if we can keep building on days like this, we’ll be in the mix for podiums.” His performance in Imola may not have brought silverware, but it rekindled belief in Ferrari’s potential.