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Lewis Hamilton is back. After a 2025 season that produced not a single podium, the first time in his Formula 1 career that had happened, the seven-time world champion looks like himself again at Ferrari. Juan Pablo Montoya has been watching closely and is thoroughly impressed.
Ferrari Built the Car to Suit Hamilton
Montoya broke down what he is seeing on his MontoyAS podcast. "If you're attacking and you're faster, you can force the other driver to use energy where it's not needed. Ferrari is better, and since it's a new set of rules, they had to start from scratch. Because they knew what problems Lewis had in the past, they worked to improve those things, to make it easier to drive, more relaxed. And that's where you see the difference."
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Hamilton currently sits fourth in the championship with 33 points, 18 behind leader George Russell and one point behind teammate Charles Leclerc. The numbers are modest, but the performances have been convincing. This is a very different Hamilton to the one who went through all of 2025 without reaching the top three.
Charles Had the Harder Time
What has caught Montoya's attention most is how Hamilton is handling Leclerc over race distance. Leclerc has historically been very strong on tyre management in the long runs, often hunting drivers down in the final stint. That script has been rewritten this season. "Lewis is doing well, because look at how he's fighting with Charles. Normally Charles is better with the tyres and eventually overtakes Lewis in the long runs. This time that was not the case. This time it was the other way around: Charles had the harder time."
Hamilton himself confirmed that he is in a better place than he has been in some time. "I definitely feel like I'm at my best again, both mentally and physically," he told the international media. His first podium since Las Vegas 2024 arrived at the right moment. After a year without one, it was a long time coming.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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