Lewis Hamilton reveals injury he ‘carried for months’ during 2025 F1 season

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he picked up an injury at the beginning of the 2025 Formula 1 season that he “carried for months”.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton claimed a memorable first victory for Ferrari after beating Mercedes’ George Russell in Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Following the race, Hamilton was explaining that rebuilding his fitness was a key part of his impressive form turnaround and let slip that an injury hampered him for several months last year.

The 41-year-old Briton did not disclose the nature of his injury, or how he suffered it, but says he now feels fitter than ever after starting an intense training programme on Christmas Day.

“I’m only human, so there’s moments where I see the stuff and for sure there’s moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply,” Hamilton said when asked how he managed to shut out negativity surrounding him during a disappointing debut season in red.

“But then I went through a sequence of unplugging from the matrix, as I mentioned at the end of last year. I spent lots of time with family, lots of time with friends. Real people that know me, that have never doubted me, that have stuck by me my whole life.

“Then I just went on a mission from Christmas Day. The training that I put in was harder than I’ve ever experienced, to keep myself in good shape.

“At the beginning of last year, I got injured here actually, and carried that for months.

“Things I just know are to never second guess yourself, never doubt yourself. You’ve got to continue to believe in yourself to the core and those are the things that I’ve managed to re-implement into my mentality.

“I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point to get myself back to where I was and it’s a great feeling to stand on that podium. I’m probably going to sleep in this red top tonight.” 

Hamilton did suffer a crash while carrying out a private pre-season test at Barcelona with Ferrari at the end of January last year. It was understood at the time that Hamilton was unhurt in the accident. 

Hamilton's first Ferrari win marked the 106th of his illustrious career and was his first since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. 

It also ended Ferrari's own win drought that stretched back to the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix - won by Hamilton's predecessor Carlos Sainz.