Hamilton eyes next milestone after long-awaited first Ferrari podium

The Briton finally managed to break the curse during the Shanghai weekend, securing his first podium with the Maranello-based team and returning to the top three for the first time since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Asked whether, after this result, a victory could now be within reach in the near future, Hamilton responded with a confident tone: "I definitely feel that I could say that it’s more in sight than ever before. Last year it couldn’t have been further from view, but I think as you’ve seen, these guys (Mercedes) in qualifying - somehow we were a little bit closer in qualifying yesterday - but in the race trim I think they’ve got four or five tenths on us at the moment."

According to the seven-time world champion, the latest generation of cars has significantly improved the ability for drivers to follow one another closely.

He pointed out that the turbulent air effect appears far less severe than in previous seasons, allowing cars to remain in close proximity without losing excessive downforce, which in his view has produced some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing he has experienced in Formula 1.

At the same time, the Briton acknowledged that Mercedes still appears to hold a clear advantage on the straights, with their cars able to pull away at remarkable speed. While pleased with Ferrari’s strong start to the season, Hamilton admitted the team will need to find ways to improve its straight-line performance if it hopes to close that gap over the coming races.