Hamilton's resurgence earns glowing praise: 'Cream always rises to the top'

Hamilton headed into the summer break second in the Drivers' Championship, trailing only Kimi Antonelli and even sitting ahead of George Russell, despite his fellow Briton driving what has generally been the more competitive car. The seven-time world champion also holds a 31-point advantage over his Ferrari teammate, who has found life considerably more challenging this season than he did last year.

Speaking to F1.com, Hill said he never doubted Hamilton would return to the front, describing the Ferrari driver as a born competitor whose determination to succeed has always set him apart.

The 1996 world champion believes Hamilton spent the winter working hard to adapt Ferrari to his driving style rather than simply adjusting himself to the team. Hill argued that Hamilton's reputation and influence have allowed him to shape the project around his strengths, insisting he is fully justified in using his experience to ensure the car suits him as well as possible.

Besides Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi has also praised Hamilton's resurgence with Ferrari after a difficult first season with the Scuderia. The two-time world champion believes the Briton has silenced his critics by returning to the front and argued that his experience, car control and growing familiarity with Ferrari have all played a key role in his improvement.

Fittipaldi believes Hamilton's resurgence is a positive development not only for Ferrari but for Formula 1 as a whole, arguing that seeing both the Scuderia and the seven-time world champion fighting at the front is good for the sport and its supporters.

The Brazilian also pointed to the characteristics of the current cars as an important factor behind Hamilton's improvement. He believes the smaller, lower-downforce machines place greater emphasis on raw driving ability, allowing Hamilton's car control and feel to shine. Fittipaldi added that the Briton is also benefiting from being in his second season with Ferrari, having now fully adapted to the team, its engineers and the way it operates.