Hamilton pushes structural overhaul as Ferrari reveals Spa update

Lewis Hamilton says he is determined not to follow in the footsteps of previous Ferrari stars who fell short of championship success, as the team rolls out its most significant update package of the season at Spa-Francorchamps.

Ferrari has introduced a new rear suspension and revised rear wing in Belgium, developed with input from Loic Serra, Hamilton’s former Mercedes colleague.

The upgrade is seen as a key step in the Scuderia’s effort to close the performance gap to Red Bull and McLaren.

"It's highly unlikely we're going to fully optimise it during this weekend," Hamilton said Thursday. "It'll probably be something we're optimising over the next few weekends."

He noted that while simulator work showed “no difference,” the arrival of new components was a positive sign.

"The positive thing is seeing that new bits are coming. There clearly is a big push back at the factory."

Hamilton has taken a proactive role in that push. During the recent break, he spent several days at Maranello, meeting with Ferrari president John Elkann, team principal Frederic Vasseur, technical chiefs, and department leaders - including Serra - to plan changes for both the current car and 2025.

"I've sent documents. After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. During the break, I had another two I sent in," he said. "Some of it is structural adjustments, and the other was really about the car."

Drawing on his experience with McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton said he’s determined not to become the latest big-name driver to fall short at Ferrari.

"If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they've had amazing drivers - Kimi (Raikkonen), Fernando (Alonso), Sebastian (Vettel). However, they didn't really win a world championship," he said.

"For me, I refuse for that to be the case with me. So I'm going the extra mile. I'm here to win. I don't have as much time as this one here," he added, gesturing to Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who is 18. "It's crunch time," the 40-year-old admitted.

Teammate Charles Leclerc, who also tested the new rear suspension during a recent Mugello filming day, welcomed the update but remained measured in his expectations.

"It's a change that is going in the right direction," he said. "But even if we put the best of the best parts on, I don't think it'll give us the three or four tenths we're missing." Still, Leclerc added: "I'm glad we have it on the car, and you'll be surprised."