Valtteri Bottas admits that Lewis Hamilton has not adapted to life at Ferrari as quickly as expected for the seven-time world champion.

However, Bottas – Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate of five years – is backing the Brit to return to form in F1 2026, while he also suggested that some critics of Hamilton may not be giving Charles Leclerc the credit which he deserves.

Lewis Hamilton tipped to bounce back in F1 2026

Hamilton was looking to revitalise his legendary Formula 1 career by making the move from Mercedes to Ferrari. However, it is blockbuster switch which is yet to live up to the hype.

With just three rounds to go in F1 2025, Hamilton is facing the growing prospect of completing his first Ferrari season without scoring a podium result. He did win the Sprint in China.

Teammate Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, has finished on the podium seven times, and is 66 points better off than Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

With Hamilton having spent his career at McLaren and Mercedes ahead of joining Ferrari, a period of adaptation was widely expected, as he dived into the unique culture of Ferrari, effectively the Italian national team.

However, Bottas admits that Hamilton has taken longer to adapt than expected.

“It’s always a big change, especially for him,” Bottas said of Hamilton in an interview with Motorsport.com’s Brazilian arm. “He spent a long time at Mercedes, so he got used to the way they work. He was very much the ‘team driver’, so it’s a big change, culturally, in terms of equipment, and language too.

“I think everyone agrees that it’s taking him longer than expected to adapt, but he has shown his speed at times.”

On a positive note for Hamilton, the second half of the season has seen him return to a similar performance level to that of Leclerc, with Bottas suggesting that some of Hamilton’s critics have “underestimated Charles, how good he is.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc head-to-head in F1 2025

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Hamilton – and Ferrari as a whole amid an underwhelming F1 2025 – will receive a shot at redemption next season, when the new chassis and engine regulations come into force. That brings with it the potential for a shake-up in the pecking order.

Hamilton will go chasing a record eighth world championship, and Bottas believes we will see a resurgence from the sport’s most successful driver.

“I think next year will show what he can still do,” Bottas predicts.

“He has already proven everything he could in F1. I think he will be fine, he will be better next year.”

Both Hamilton and Leclerc were on the receiving end of some tough love from Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who, following the Brazilian Grand Prix, told the duo to “focus on driving, talk less” as the Scuderia bids to salvage P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.

Hamilton would re-iterate his continued commitment to the Ferrari cause, in a social media post which could easily be considered a reply to Elkann’s words.

“I back my team. I back myself,” he wrote.

“I will not give up. Not now, not then, not ever. Thank you, Brazil, always.”

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