Hamilton’s Rocky Start with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton made quite the entrance at Maranello, full of excitement as he gears up for the 2025 season with Ferrari. You’d think this could be a match made in racing heaven, right? But things haven’t really panned out that way so far.
Despite the fanfare, Hamilton hasn’t found himself on the Grand Prix podium since joining Scuderia. And, frankly, whispers about his future with Ferrari have started to swirl, particularly after a tough time at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the drivers described their performance as “useless.” It seems Ferrari might even be contemplating a replacement for him.
In a recent conversation, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur spoke about Hamilton’s time at the team, noting that he, along with Hamilton, “underestimated” the challenges of switching from Mercedes to Ferrari. You could sense a bit of vulnerability in those words.
Vasseur elaborated, “Lewis and I, perhaps, didn’t consider how much the environment changed, especially since he had spent two decades with the same team.” It’s an interesting point. He mentioned that both McLaren and Mercedes were similar in culture and engine specifications, which probably made the transition more daunting than anticipated.
Thinking about it, Hamilton was entrenched in that world from 2006 to 2024—eighteen years, essentially. Transitioning to Ferrari, with its unique challenges, was sure to be difficult.
Vasseur acknowledged that Hamilton was still figuring out his footing at Ferrari, especially after facing tough weekends during both the Belgian and Hungarian Grand Prix. “He needed a little more control over the last several races, which he felt in Canada, Spain, the UK, and Austria,” Vasseur noted. Yet, it looks like things didn’t quite work out as planned in Hungary.
“If you check the standings, you see one driver up at P1 while Hamilton was hovering around P12. It was closer than you’d expect with Charles at P11 and Lewis right behind,” Vasseur said.
Regarding Hamilton’s candid comments after the Hungarian race, Vasseur downplayed the situation, stating it wasn’t a “drama” and understanding how emotional drivers can become during tough times.
“He’s had these moments before, even at Mercedes,” Vasseur reflected. “For me, it’s not a big deal. I get where he’s coming from; he’s a driven person and very demanding. That’s understandable, as long as he’s aware of it himself.”
In the end, Vasseur seems optimistic that both Ferrari and Hamilton are on a path to improvement. It’s probably better not to dive into the specifics just yet, but he mentioned, “I think we’re working on the issues.”
With the 2025 F1 season set to continue next week at Hungarian Ligue Rampuri, fans will be watching closely to see if Hamilton can turn things around.
