Hamilton’s rebuilt – Lewis Hamilton says his resurgence began with rebuilding his mindset, including a social media detox and time with family and friends, before his first win with Ferrari since 2024. The victory in Spain moved him second in the standings, while Ferrari’s innovat
Lewis Hamilton walked into Sunday’s spotlight with something he hadn’t been feeling for much of the past stretch of his career: certainty in himself.
When he won for Ferrari in Spain—his first win since 2024—it wasn’t just another checkmark for a seven-time champion. It was a jolt to a season that had started to tilt toward younger rivals. Hamilton’s breakthrough lifted him to second in the standings and cut into the overall lead of Kimi Antonelli. the driver who replaced Hamilton when he left Mercedes.
For Hamilton, the turning point is inseparable from the work he did away from the stopwatch. He described the resurgence as the result of a “rebuilt” mind, built deliberately after injury dogged him through 2025 and he began to doubt his abilities.
“I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point, to get myself back to where I was,” Hamilton said after the win in Spain. He added that he had tried to live by a message of “never second-guess yourself, never doubt yourself.”
Hamilton said the mental rebuilding came with practical steps as well. He described a social media detox and time in the real world—surrounded by people who know him and don’t hesitate to back him.
“I’m only human. So. you know. there’s moments where I see the stuff (on social media) and for sure there’s moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply. ” he said. “I went through a sequence of unplugging from that matrix. I spent lots of time with family. lots of time with friends. real people that know me. that have never doubted me. have stuck to and by me my whole life.”.
On the team side, Hamilton also pointed to support around him at the track. He said he had support from Kim Kardashian, and he and his new race engineer Carlo Santi have been trading warm words of encouragement over the radio after exchanges that were often awkward with Riccardo Adami last year.
The win also put a sharper spotlight on what Ferrari has been doing differently—especially in terms of innovation. Hamilton’s signing in 2024 carried real risk for Ferrari. given that when the move was announced. his most recent win had been more than two years earlier. But Ferrari. under team principal Fred Vasseur. has been building a case for speed and boldness. despite the team’s long wait since its last constructors’ title in 2008.
Hamilton has framed this season as a push to innovate rather than simply stay near the front. He talked about meetings with senior Ferrari staff last year to plan out 2026, and he described a collaborative approach that seems to be working.
“These guys have really listened and really worked hard to add performance and be innovative. This year is all about innovation,” Hamilton said. He singled out the “Macarena” rear wing, which turns upside-down for better straight-line speed.
“This is what I was asking for last year. This team has to be the leaders in that, and they’ve shown that they can and they will.”
Reliability is still the uneven line in the background for the rest of the field, and it was impossible not to notice during the race. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff dusted off an old Formula 1 cliche after watching Antonelli break down on track, the second Mercedes non-finish in three races.
“To finish first, first you have to finish,” Wolff told Sky Sports.
Hamilton’s own rhythm with results has been steadier than most. He is the only driver to finish in the top 10 of every race this season. But the broader Mercedes picture remains difficult. Teammate Charles Leclerc had to retire Sunday with an issue affecting his brakes and steering.
Still, even with Hamilton’s momentum, the season’s math hasn’t suddenly flipped. Hamilton said an historic eighth title hasn’t been on his mind, and Antonelli’s lead remains formidable at 41 points.
Even so, there are reasons for optimism around timing and terrain. F1 is heading into a run of European tracks Hamilton knows well, including his home race in Britain next month. Hamilton also said Antonelli largely underperformed last year in those familiar settings.
Car development adds another layer to the pressure. Wolff has suggested spending limits could restrict Mercedes’ response to the package of new parts Ferrari used so effectively in Barcelona.
And for Hamilton, the story of what changes—and what stays—runs back to the same place: inside his own head. Sunday’s win at 41 years, 5 months made him the oldest F1 winner since 1970. But Hamilton’s argument is that the physical comeback was only part of it.
He described the hardest work as the rebuild: stepping back from what could reach him, putting faith in real people who wouldn’t waver, and returning to a simple rule—no second-guessing, no doubt.
Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Kimi Antonelli F1 Spain win Macarena rear wing Carlo Santi Toto Wolff Charles Leclerc Mercedes reliability mental wellbeing