David Coulthard suggests Lewis Hamilton has lost one of his defining strengths. Coulthard on Hamilton: One of His Greatest Weapons Is Gone.

The excitement among the Tifosi was palpable from the moment the announcement was made in February: Lewis Hamilton would be joining Ferrari. Anticipation only grew over the course of a year, culminating in a massive turnout at Fiorano to witness Hamilton’s first appearance in red. Every lap he completed during testing and pre-season was scrutinized as fans waited for his official debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

However, the beginning of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari journey hasn’t gone as hoped. A costly strategic error during the opening race robbed both him and Charles Leclerc of valuable points. It was a disappointing start, especially given the hype surrounding the team’s new era with the seven-time world champion onboard.

Still, Hamilton provided a reminder of his pedigree shortly after by claiming victory in the Sprint Race in China, having started from pole position. It was a glimpse of the performance that has earned him 105 Grand Prix victories throughout his Formula 1 career. Despite that moment of brilliance, the partnership between the British driver and the Maranello team has yet to consistently deliver the results many expected.

Internally and among the Tifosi, pressure continues to mount. While Hamilton is still adjusting to Ferrari’s systems and structure after more than a decade at Mercedes, comparisons with teammate Charles Leclerc are inevitable. Questions are starting to emerge over whether the current performance gap between the two drivers is simply a matter of adaptation—or if Hamilton may already be operating close to his current ceiling.

David Coulthard Questions Whether Hamilton Has Lost His Qualifying Edge

During his analysis of the Bahrain Grand Prix for Channel 4, former F1 driver David Coulthard reflected on Hamilton’s current form. The Ferrari driver managed to climb four places during the race, recovering from a P9 start. Notably, his Q3 time had been over half a second slower than Leclerc’s.

David Coulthard noted that post-race, Hamilton sounded relatively upbeat, while Charles Leclerc’s comments were far more critical and focused on strategy. He observed that Leclerc tends to question race tactics more openly over team radio, particularly decisions involving tyre choice or number of stops.

As for the seven-time F1 world champion, David Coulthard attributed the Briton’s positive tone to his progress during the race, highlighting that Hamilton’s racecraft was still top-tier and never in doubt. The key concern, however, lay elsewhere: Hamilton’s qualifying performances.

Coulthard suggested that the real issue lies in Hamilton’s Saturdays. He pointed out that for a driver who once dominated qualifying sessions, this aspect of his game now appears weakened. He acknowledged it’s a surprising development for a driver of Hamilton’s caliber, implying that one of his former “superpowers” may have diminished.

Charles Leclerc Outperforming Hamilton in Qualifying—For Now

Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying struggles are not unique to his first season at the Maranello team. The decline began during his final year at Mercedes, where teammate George Russell frequently outpaced him in qualifying sessions. While some chalked it up to the W14’s unpredictable handling characteristics, the pattern appears to be continuing with the SF-25.

The statistics so far this season show Hamilton averaging a qualifying position of 6.2—modest by his own standards. Charles Leclerc, by comparison, holds an average grid spot of 4.6. Even factoring in Hamilton’s pole in the Chinese Sprint Race, the numbers show a clear edge for the Monegasque.

Interestingly, Mercedes’ rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli currently averages a starting position of 8.4. The young Italian failed to advance beyond Q1 in his debut, yet his numbers are not dramatically distant from Hamilton’s, underlining the scrutiny the Briton is under.

After qualifying at the Suzuka circuit, the Briton openly admitted he was “not where I want to be” following an eighth-place result. His own comments reflect a need to rebound quickly—particularly in qualifying, where confidence, precision, and raw pace must come together in a single lap. With Saudi Arabia up next, Lewis Hamilton will be under pressure to prove he can still extract maximum performance when it matters most. For now, the question remains: is this just a period of transition—or has one of Formula 1’s most dominant drivers lost a critical piece of his edge?