Lewis Hamilton has insisted that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” as he nears the end of a difficult first season with Ferrari.
It comes after reports earlier this week claimed that the seven-time world champion is unlikely to be offered a new contract when his current Ferrari deal expires.
Lewis Hamilton defends slow start at Ferrari: ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’
Hamilton has struggled across his first season with Ferrari following his high-profile move from Mercedes last winter, failing to register a podium finish in his first 20 appearances for his new team.
The 40-year-old trails teammate Charles Leclerc, who collected his seventh podium of the F1 2025 season at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, by a massive 64 points with four rounds remaining.
It was claimed earlier this week that ‘several senior figures’ have indicated that Hamilton will not be handed a contract extension by Ferrari at the end of his existing deal.
Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Ferrari head-to-head scores for F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
The ‘multi-year’ contract Hamilton signed to join Ferrari in early 2024 is widely believed to run until the end of next season.
However, it was claimed earlier this year that Hamilton’s contract could contain an option – purely on his side – to extend his current deal until the end of 2027 if he wishes, giving Ferrari little say on the matter.
In an interview with in-house publication Ferrari Magazine, Hamilton has defended his slow start to life at the Italian team.
Asked if he expected his move to Ferrari to prove so seismic, he said: “I knew that aligning our brands would be big.
“But it still hits you and you’re like: ‘This is even more powerful than I imagined.’
“It’s beautiful and there have been plenty of positives, although a lot of responsibility and weight comes with it.
“Everyone expects to win straight away, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. How long did it take? We’ll have to look that up.”
Put to him that anyone who knows anything about F1 is aware that it takes time to win, Hamilton replied: “And that’s not many people.
“Only when you’re inside a team can you really, truly understand how it works and how F1 works. You can’t imagine how the machine really operates otherwise.
“I’ve been in F1 for so long, but when I came to this team it really was different again.
“So I don’t blame people for not knowing.
“All I can do is continue to focus on the things that I can control. How I prepare and work with the team. How I show up each day and stay positive.”
More on Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari from PlanetF1.com
Hamilton’s latest comments come after George Russell, his former Mercedes teammate, was linked with a potential switch to Ferrari in the future.
A report in Italy has claimed that Russell is ‘highly regarded’ by Ferrari’s senior management having emerged as one of the best drivers on the grid since joining Mercedes in 2022.
Russell recently signed a new contract to remain with Mercedes for the F1 2026 season, ending months of speculation surrounding his future.
Yet with Mercedes opting against specifying the exact length of Russell’s new deal, it was speculated that the team could renew its interest in Red Bull driver and reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen ahead of the 2027 season.
However, Russell confirmed earlier this week that his new contract contains a clause that will automatically trigger an extension for 2027 if he meets certain performance targets in 2026.
He told the Telegraph: “It is something I haven’t actually said publicly, but the deal is if I’m performing [next year] we have a specific clause that if I reach [a certain target], we will automatically renew for 2027.
“So my seat for 2027 is in my hands. So I’m not being strung along here.
“We’re not going to be in the same position as we were six months ago.
“If I perform, and I don’t want to go into details, but if I perform, then 100 per cent I’ll be staying.”
Read next: Why Lewis Hamilton’s documents are a red flag for Ferrari