Hamilton takes responsibility, vows to 'be better' after Ferrari outburst

Lewis Hamilton has taken responsibility for his frustrated outbursts toward Ferrari during and after the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, admitting his radio and TV comments were not 'the best version' of himself. He vowed to 'be better' while insisting his passion comes from belief in the team.

Why it matters:

The episode exposed the friction between Hamilton's fierce desire to win and Ferrari's imperfect race execution. With the championship battle tight at the time, how he handled that frustration mattered for team morale and momentum.

The details:

• Hamilton finished fourth at Zandvoort and felt strategy cost him a podium.
• On fresher tyres, he caught Charles Leclerc, who was told to pit but stayed out another lap. Hamilton sarcastically said: 'Great way of wasting time, good job.'
• He compared the delay to Mercedes, where George Russell immediately let Kimi Antonelli back through under a VSC, and believed he could have passed Russell for third if not held up.
• The result left Hamilton tied with Russell on 183 points, Russell ahead on countback, 59 behind Antonelli.
• In his post, Hamilton praised the factory team's updates and said the direction is clear. He stopped short of a formal apology but accepted responsibility: 'That wasn't the best version of me. I take responsibility for that, and I'll be better.'
• He ended with: 'The fight is absolutely still on. We're coming.'

What's next:

The immediate challenge was to turn belief into cleaner weekends. Hamilton acknowledged work remains, particularly over one lap. As Ferrari continues its 2026 campaign, the lesson from Zandvoort still applies: passion must be paired with precision.