Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile move to Ferrari was one of the biggest talking points heading into the new season. Hamilton’s career trajectory took a nosedive in his later Mercedes years, but could Ferrari help the seven-time world champion rediscover his spark?
Hamilton has seemed far from his best in Ferrari colors until now, and reports have emerged that he is not happy with how things are going at the Maranello-based outfit.
Lewis Hamilton Losing Faith in the Scuderia Dream?
Hamilton cultivated an incredibly successful relationship with Mercedes based on mutual respect, even though his farewell season with the Silver Arrows had some uneasy moments.
Tensions first surfaced in 2022, when Hamilton voiced frustration with the team’s car concept. Eventually, it became evident that the beginning of the end for Hamilton at the Mercedes camp had started. The Mercedes legend competed in his final race for the team in Abu Dhabi in 2024 and joined rivals Ferrari this season.
Hamilton needed a fresh start, and Ferrari seemed to be the perfect place for it. However, soon it became clear that the Scuderia was not yet ready to compete with the best of F1’s teams.
As per Corriere, dissatisfaction is brewing within Ferrari over what’s seen as an inflexible trackside structure. Hamilton is reportedly disappointed by his lack of input in the team’s response to its on-track challenges.
Doubts have emerged about Ferrari’s technical direction after both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc were thrown out of the Chinese GP for breaching plank wear regulations.
Ferrari’s quick fix was to increase the car’s ride height to avoid a repeat of the disqualifications, but that adjustment has come at a steep price in pace – one they’ve yet to recover from.
The harsh reality for team principal Fred Vasseur is that Ferrari has been out-developed this season. The SF-25’s development path, in particular, has proven fundamentally flawed.
Rivals Red Bull and Mercedes, by contrast, have made visible strides forward. Ferrari’s latest development missteps have reignited rumors of internal discord, while Leclerc’s growing frustration has become increasingly hard to ignore.
If Corriere’s claims are right, Hamlin is also quite unhappy with the Ferrari management.
It’s reported that Hamilton’s demands have gone largely unheard at a team slow to adapt and develop. This pattern isn’t new — other drivers before him have run into the same difficulties at Maranello.
Ferrari’s current moment of uncertainty is impossible to ignore. The tense environment threatens their 2025 ambitions and leaves them with minimal margin for error as new regulations approach.