Hamilton says he has laid 'foundation' at Ferrari

MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — It's a fact that's hard to digest for anyone who has followed Formula 1 over the last two decades: Lewis Hamilton hasn't stood atop the victory podium in nearly two years. Once a serial winner who dominated the grid, the 41-year-old Hamilton struggled mightily last season, not reaching a podium once in his first campaign with Ferrari, which he'd joined from a Mercedes team that had given him the cars to win six of his seven world titles. Hamilton hasn't savored victory since winning the Belgium GP in July 2024. Since that last win, Hamilton has gone 40 races — 10 with Mercedes, and now 30 with Ferrari — without a victory. Finishing first in the sprint race in China last year was little consolation. But this season, his second with Ferrari, he has shown signs of a rebirth at the Italian carmaker. Hamilton got his first podium with Ferrari after finishing third in China in Round 2. He then improved on that with back-to-back second-place finishes in Montreal and Monaco leading into this weekend race. But there are signs that he and Ferrari are back on track and close to adding to Hamilton's record 105 victories. Hamilton enters the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix second in the points standings behind teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli, who was only months old when Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 and replaced him at Mercedes. Hamilton said Thursday at the Barcelona track that he has a better "mentality" now after he adapted to Ferrari. "It's been a great first part of the season," he said. "It's taken us a good year to get to know each other, and I think it's really is a good foundation for us to then build on." He said the team has been able to make the changes to the car that he requested last season, which he said at times made him feel "like banging your head on a wall." Those included an entirely new braking system that has worked so well that teammate Charles Leclerc has requested the same upgrade to his car. "I went from a season in a car that I inherited and had no input to, to a car I've had input to with elements of the car that I'd asked for," he said. "The team listened, which has been great." The English driver will have the experience of his six career wins in Spain, including five straight from 2017-2021. Still, the veteran is playing the long game and gives the edge to Antonelli in his faster Mercedes for Sunday's race. "I think it's going to be tough to beat Mercedes," he said. "We're just working on focusing on ourselves and just trying to improve between things. It's just the beginning." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing