Lewis Hamilton fought back from the brink after a miserable weekend of qualifying at the Formula 1 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, and one F1 expert has noticed a significant change in his demeanour.
Hamilton qualified 18th in the Sprint Qualifying session on Friday after spinning out at Spa, before following that up with 16th and a Q1 exit when his lap time was deleted for a track limits violation.
But Brandon Sutton, an F1 writer appearing on the Total Motorsport F1 Show, noticed how the response from the 40-year-old was clearly different to how he would’ve reacted at Mercedes last year.
“He came out on Sunday, he gave himself a lot of encouragement with how quick he was, finding the pace compared to everyone else,” Sutton said. “The fact that it went dry took the rest of the race away from him.
“The interesting thing would’ve been to see how the race would’ve played out if FIA started it earlier, and would he have managed to get further up the order before the [tyre] crossover. Could he have got himself a podium?
“Either way, to go from the pitlane to seventh and show the mental fortitude to fight back from the kind of weekend where he could’ve thrown in the towel, it’s really encouraging for him going forward. I’m not sure the Hamilton from last year would’ve found that motivation.”
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Hamilton answers critics with drive and desire to improve Ferrari
Hamilton has made it clear the Italian team are working more on their 2026 car from here on out, and Ewan Gale thinks this proves how motivated he is to add a record eighth world title to his trophy cabinet.
“He was awesome on Sunday, he really was,” Gale said. “If you look at everyone else and how they were unable to make up [time]… look what Antonelli did in terms of making up from a bad position. So really awesome from Lewis.
“The lift-and-coasting, that’s been a problem since China when he was disqualified. The more I think about it, the more Lewis has been set back in a way. Leclerc didn’t run away from Verstappen in the way you’d expect him to, so maybe it is the same on Leclerc’s side. We know there is inherent performance in that Ferrari from what Hamilton did in the Sprint.
“All of these documents he’s been sending around shows how driven he is. The fact he has pinpointed all of the areas that Ferrari can improve for next season, he’s so determined not to be another Vettel or Alonso in that Scuderia red. And that’s so impressive at his age, it really is a testament to his mentality, drive and desire.
“Anyone who questions how pumped he is to get another title to his name, just needs to look at the work he’s doing off the track at the moment.”
