Lewis Hamilton 'missing' former F1 team-mate

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Lewis Hamilton 'missing' former F1 team-mate

Lewis Hamilton has had seven team-mates in his F1 career

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 2 September 2025 09:57

F1 icon Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he misses a former team-mate amid his ongoing struggles at Ferrari.

Since making the monumental switch from the Silver Arrows at the beginning of 2025, the seven-time champion has been under intense pressure to perform, with both he and new team-mate Charles Leclerc growing increasingly frustrated at the Scuderia.

During Sky F1's coverage of this weekend's Dutch GP, fellow champion Jacques Villeneuve even claimed he felt the whole team lacked 'chemistry', citing that as Ferrari's main issue since Hamilton's arrival.

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But the 40-year-old has returned from the F1 summer break hoping to find the 'fun' in the sport again, reflecting on his past experiences and past team-mates.

Following the news that ex-team-mate Valtteri Bottas will be returning to the grid with Cadillac in 2026, Hamilton spoke to Sky F1 on Thursday in Zandvoort.

Reacting to Bottas' signing, Hamilton said: "I mean, I don't need to say anything about his talent because he's shown that throughout his career I think. But [Cadillac’s] getting probably the most honest [and] probably the funniest Finn, I would imagine. And just the most genuine person to work with. I miss working with him."

What will Bottas' F1 comeback look like?

Ahead of the Dutch GP, Cadillac finally confirmed Bottas would be joining their driver line-up for 2026, with his new team-mate announced as fellow ex-F1 star Sergio Perez.

The Mexican star was dropped by Red Bull after a disappointing run of performances in 2024, but thanks to F1 welcoming an 11th team to the grid next year, it has provided both Bottas and Perez the chance to return to a full-time seat in the sport.

Both stars earned a reputation as two of the most solid No.2 drivers in the sport, with Bottas racing at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, alongside champion Hamilton, and Perez supporting Max Verstappen during the height of his championship success.

As a result, Cadillac were keen to sign such an experienced pair to help the American F1 squad make a positive first impression in the sport.

However, as the newest team with the least experience, only time will tell how competitive Bottas and Perez will be at the wheel of the Cadillac F1 machinery.

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