Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 2025

Lewis Hamilton said he was reacting to a poor result in Las Vegas when he told a reporter he was not looking forward to racing in Formula 1 again next year.

After finishing 10th on the road in Las Vegas the Ferrari driver said he was looking forward to finishing the season. “I’m eager for it to end, I’m looking forward to it ending and I’m not looking forward to the next one,” said Hamilton.

But speaking in today’s FIA press conference in the Losail International Circuit, Hamilton said his post-race comments in Las Vegas were affected by his mood at the time.

“I’d be surprised if the other drivers are excited about next year at the end of a season because you usually don’t have a lot of energy at the end of a season. You’re looking forward to time with family and stuff.

“But, look, that’s just in the heat of frustration, often there’s a lot of frustration at the end of races, particularly when they haven’t gone well. So no, I’m excited to see what the team’s built next year and to continue to build on with them.”

Hamilton qualified last in Las Vegas after abandoning his final run in qualifying due to an error. He missed an opportunity to jump ahead of Nico Hulkenberg when he made a mistake on his out-lap and finished several places lower than his team indicated had been possible.

He believes Ferrari’s car should be more competitive in Losail this weekend. The majority of the track consists of medium-to-high speed corners which he expects the SF-25 will be “pretty decent in.”

“Our car should be pretty good in those areas, it might be hard to keep up with Red Bull but I’m hoping for a better weekend.”

This article will be updated

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