Hamilton's phone in the "freaking bin" is a good start!

The seven-time F1 Champion said after the 2025 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he will throw his phone in the "freaking bin" as he looks for a break after a character-building maiden season with the Scuderia.

And former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes that approach will serve Hamilton well and said when GrandPrix247 asked him about his compatriot's statement: "I'm glad that's a good start. That's for sure."

"He's motivated. I think that's very important," Herbert went on, reflecting on Hamilton's first season with Ferrari. "It's been his most frustrating year he's ever had in Formula 1, maybe in his entire career, and drivers do go through that.

"Not every driver has an absolutely brilliant, fantastic, perfect performance throughout a year, and this is just one of those scenarios where it hasn't clicked. There's been signs of it sort of starting to work.

"But then it's sort of tripped over again, and the performances haven't quite worked. Charles [Leclerc] has been very consistent throughout the year. He's got some podiums.

"We have to go back to that winning Sprint race in China, obviously, for Lewis, from that point of view, but the rest of it has been really frustrating for him, and it's been very difficult, you know, even for me, to watch, especially when he's interviewed after some of those races, because I've never seen that type, that side of Lewis.

"It's always been a positive side, but it was a real difficult listen when he was so down in the dumps and really sometimes even just having one-word answers to the question that was there," he added, referring to some of Hamilton's post-race or post-qualifying interviews.

The three-time Grand Prix winner explained: "I think it was because he was very confused with the situation that he finds himself in, but throwing the phone away, having a massive reset, doing extra work, maybe in the simulator, just doing everything he possibly can to be ready for that first race next season—he can do no more than that.

"And then it's really down to having that old Lewis feel with the car and that old Lewis speed that we know that he's got.

"And then you never know. It might be the year that it all clicks together, and that eighth World Championship might come his way. I'm sure that's a really big motivation," Herbert maintained.

Much has been said about Hamilton's inability to drive the outgoing ground effect cars, but Herbert has a different view on that matter.

"It's like anything," the 61-year-old said. "I think that we all like certain cars and would like certain cars to do certain things.

"But in every form of racing that we've ever gone through, from karting to the younger formulas F2, F3 and then getting to Formula 1, there were good times when I raced in Formula 1, and there were horrible times when I didn't enjoy the car.

"So we've all got that," he reiterated. "But at the end of the day, whatever cockpit we sit in, and whatever performance it is, you just try your very, very best, and you try and get the best out of that car, and hopefully you're in a position to be able to get the race wins that you've always dreamt about.

"I'm sure Lewis hasn't dreamt about eight World Championships, but that's what he will be aiming for. So whatever car feels like probably is quite irrelevant, but you're still trying to get the best performance out of yourself," concluded Herbert.