Formula One Group chief Stefano Domenicali has to stay as impartial as possible in his current role, but that doesn’t mean he won’t always have a soft spot for Ferrari.
Heading into the 2025 Formula 1 season, it was clear that Ferrari were going to be one of, if not the biggest, talking point.
Fred Vasseur had led Ferrari to second in the constructors’ championship last year, and with Lewis Hamilton on board, hopes were high heading into this year.
Charles Leclerc entered the 2025 campaign in superb form, but both drivers have struggled to make the desired impact on the season thus far.
Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 309 2 275 3 205 4 184 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 64 9 37 10 37
Both championships are already out of reach with nine races to go, and with the Italian Grand Prix on the horizon, it’s the perfect time for Hamilton to score his first podium or for Leclerc to get his first race win of the year.
The Monegasque driver has five podiums to his name this year and a pole position in Hungary, but Hamilton is yet to reach those heights and sits 42 points behind his teammate.
Hamilton already faces a grid penalty at Monza, which will only add to his woes, and Domenicali has now given his verdict on the seven-time world champion’s maiden campaign with the Scuderia.
READ MORE: Stefano Domenicali addresses one concern Lewis Hamilton had over 2026 F1 cars
Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesStefano Domenicali identifies the ‘weakness’ Lewis Hamilton has shown at Ferrari this season
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Domenicali was discussing a variety of topics.
One of those topics was Hamilton, with the report describing this season as the ‘darkest crisis of his career’.
Talking about Hamilton’s campaign, Domenicali explained: “Lewis didn’t expect to face such a difficult start to the season.
“I was struck by his moment of human weakness in Hungary, linked to a complicated context. But he must react and continue fighting to make history by winning with Ferrari, without letting other worries overwhelm him.
“He has the character to succeed and to enlighten those around him. I expect him to return to prominence next year.”
CategoryLewis HamiltonCharles Leclerc2025 points109151Grand Prix results*211Grand Prix qualifying411Grand Prix wins00Grand Prix poles01Grand Prix podiums05Best finish4th3rdDisqualifications11Retirements11Retirements (classified finish)00Fastest laps00Grand Prix points finishes1212Sprint results21Sprint Qualifying12Sprint wins10Sprint poles10Sprint podiums20The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
*Both Ferrari drivers were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix
Hamilton was incredibly downcast in Hungary after failing to get through to Q3 and missing out on a top 10 finish for the first time since joining Ferrari.
However, Hamilton was far more positive than Leclerc in the Netherlands, even if both of their races ended in disaster.
READ MORE: Stefano Domenicali explains why he can see Max Verstappen ‘looking around’ to leave Red Bull
Stefano Domenicali backs Kimi Antonelli to have an ‘extraordinary’ F1 career
Another driver having a tough time right now is Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli crashed into Leclerc at turn three at Zandvoort, ending his race and earning him a 10-second penalty that saw him drop out of the points.
RANKDRIVERTEAMPOINTS1Oscar PiastriMcLaren252Max VerstappenRed Bull183Isack HadjarRacing Bulls154George RussellMercedes125Alex AlbonWilliams106Oliver BearmanHaas87Lance StrollAston Martin68Fernando AlonsoAston Martin49Yuki TsunodaRed Bull210Esteban OconHaas1
Domenicali was asked about the 19-year-old and said: “Kimi is my daughter’s age. I’ve known him since he was a child.
“He’s understanding that in Formula 1, you have to grow up quickly, and having his family by his side will help him.
“We’ll see him more confident in 2026. I think he could have an extraordinary career.”