Ferrari's tension with Hamilton?
Lewis Hamilton Struggles with Ferrari Performance
The Formula 1 season of 2025 has seen a challenging start for seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari last year with high expectations. However, his performance this season has been disappointing, marked by a lack of podiums in his first 14 races and a notably poor 12th place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton himself expressed frustration after qualifying in Hungary, calling himself "useless" and even suggesting Ferrari might consider replacing him. Despite these struggles, Hamilton has publicly vowed to "come back stronger" after the summer break, insisting that "the fight's not over" and dismissing retirement rumors.
Analysts attribute Hamilton's difficulties to both Ferrari's car performance nuances and his adaptation to the team. Ferrari has improved its car's pace recently, but Hamilton has struggled to extract its full potential, especially compared to teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured pole position at Hungary. There have also been reports of minor setup differences in the cars, such as slightly different rear wings, fueling speculation about whether Hamilton is receiving the best possible equipment.
Internally, Ferrari is concerned with how to maximize Hamilton's performance, balancing car setup and his driving style. The team principal, Fred Vasseur, has acknowledged Hamilton's frustration and high self-standards, and has confirmed that Ferrari has no plans to replace him.
Meanwhile, Hamilton and Vasseur have had discussions about the driver's recent performance and comments. Mercedes, Hamilton's former team, was left stunned by his departure, with team principal Tito Wolff making a significant revelation about the team.
The F1 community is watching the tension between Hamilton and Ferrari closely, heightened by Hamilton's candid post-qualifying comments at the Hungarian GP, which went viral and suggested underlying issues in the Italian team environment. Despite the current difficulties, both Hamilton and Ferrari seem committed to improving performances in the second half of the season.
The next event in the Formula 1 season is the Zandvoort GP, scheduled to take place on August 31. The break until then gives Hamilton and the other drivers an opportunity to recharge and prepare for the second half of the season.
[1] Hamilton Expresses Frustration with Ferrari Performance [2] Hamilton's Struggles with Ferrari: Adaptation and Car Performance [3] Speculation of Setup Differences in Ferrari Cars [4] Hamilton's Post-Qualifying Comments Cause Stir in F1 Community
- Lewis Hamilton, struggling with Ferrari's performance, pointed out his dissatisfaction after the Hungarian Grand Prix, openly expressing his feelings as "useless."
- Hamilton's performance with Ferrari this season has been disappointing, as he grapples with both adaptation to the team and the car's performance, particularly in comparison to his teammate Charles Leclerc.
