Lewis Hamilton Eyes Silverstone Podium After Ferrari Improvement

Lewis Hamilton holds an unparalleled record at his home event, the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone. No other driver has achieved greater success at their home race or at a single Formula 1 venue, and few in the sport`s history have received such sustained adoration from the spectators.

This weekend, the renowned home of British motorsport once again welcomes F1 as the 2025 season reaches its halfway point. This season is particularly notable as it is Hamilton`s first competing for Ferrari.

While British drivers George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren) have claimed victories in the last two races (Canada and Austria, respectively), Ferrari is the only team among the traditional `big four` without a Grand Prix win for either driver after 11 rounds. Hamilton himself is still striving for his first Sunday podium finish since joining the Italian team.

Considering he secured a record ninth victory at Silverstone just last year in an emotionally charged race, could his home circuit provide the setting for another significant achievement this weekend?

Hamilton Pinpoints Area for Improvement After Ferrari`s Gains in Austria

Ferrari arrives at Hamilton`s home race following a performance boost in Austria, where they introduced an upgraded floor on their SF-25 car, which had been underperforming earlier in the season.

Although a single upgrade isn`t expected to dramatically alter a team`s fortunes instantly, especially in the final year of the current F1 regulations, the changes made to Ferrari`s car in Austria appeared to have a positive impact on performance, a view shared by both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc.

In Austria, while Mercedes struggled with high temperatures and Red Bull`s Max Verstappen`s podium chances were hindered by external factors, Ferrari consistently proved to be the second-fastest team behind the current championship leaders, McLaren, resulting in them finishing third and fourth in the race.

Leclerc was again the leading Ferrari driver, qualifying on the front row and finishing third. This was his third podium finish in the last four races and his fourth overall in 2025.

Hamilton`s wait for a podium appearance now extends to a career-worst 13 races. However, he noted personal progress with the Ferrari car during his fourth-place finish in Austria.

He qualified just 0.090 seconds behind his teammate, securing his first second-row start for a Grand Prix this year, and matched his best race finish of the season, which he achieved previously in Imola in May.

Interestingly, although Hamilton`s qualifying difficulties have been a focus over the past season and a half (initially with Mercedes and now Ferrari), the 40-year-old indicated after the Austrian race that his race pace was the main area needing work, having finished nine seconds behind Leclerc at the end of the 70-lap event on Sunday.

Regarding his form after the race, Hamilton stated, “`I`ll just keep working at it.`”

He added, “`I feel like I made progress this weekend.`”

“`I was less than a tenth off Charles in qualifying, and we found a problem through qualifying with the brakes, where I lost a tenth, so that`s positive,` he explained, mentioning a brake issue.

He concluded, “`I`ve just got to find some pace for the race, but definitely improving.`”

Can Hamilton Maintain His Exceptional Podium Streak at Silverstone?

So, what are the chances of Ferrari genuinely contending for a podium finish again on the fast straights and sweeps of Silverstone?

McLaren`s competitiveness is evident on most circuits, and they are expected to be strong favourites. Ferrari will likely face increased competition from their other two main rivals compared to the race in Austria.

Mercedes, who took pole position with Russell and won with Hamilton at Silverstone last year, may benefit from the expected end of the UK heatwave and potential showers over the weekend. Red Bull, meanwhile, has shown its best form this year on tracks featuring high-speed corners.

Despite these factors, Ferrari will be hoping that the pace improvement shown in Austria provides a strong base for further progress, with more car upgrades anticipated before F1`s summer break next month.

Furthermore, the undeniable `Hamilton factor` at Silverstone needs to be taken into account.

If there was any lingering doubt that the seven-time champion possesses a special ability to perform at his annual home race, even during difficult seasons, his performance in the 2024 British GP dispelled it.

Arriving at the British GP last July, Hamilton had not won a race in 56 attempts since December 2021 and had only secured one podium in the preceding 14 races. Yet, he delivered a masterclass drive in challenging wet-dry conditions to claim a victory widely considered one of the best of his career.

This win was significant not only as a record-extending ninth victory at the British GP (making him the first driver to win a single race nine times) but also due to its particular emotional resonance.

Reflecting afterwards, Hamilton admitted, “There`s definitely been moments where you know, the thought that this was it, that that was never going to happen again. So to have this feeling come across the line, I think, honestly, I`ve never cried coming from a win. It just came out of me.”

He added, “And it`s a really, really great feeling. I`m very, very grateful for it.`”

That victory allowed the Briton to decisively extend another remarkable Silverstone record: a continuous streak of podium finishes dating back to 2014.

This is a unique achievement at any Grand Prix. Hamilton has finished on the podium in the last 11 British GPs. Including the second race held at the venue in 2020 (the 70th Anniversary GP), his streak at Silverstone extends to 12 consecutive races.

Highlighting his extraordinary home record, fewer than 40 drivers in the history of the sport have achieved more total wins across all circuits combined than Hamilton has won *just* at Silverstone.

Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok commented, “`We are coming to Silverstone which is a Lewis Hamilton track.`”

He added, “`Wouldn`t the crowd go absolutely mad if he won there?`”