F1 | Ferrari admits: “We underestimated Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation period”. Ferrari admits they underestimated Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation period in 2025.

Ferrari has admitted that they underestimated the time it would take for Lewis Hamilton to adapt to life at the Italian team, as the 2025 season has proven more challenging than expected. Since donning the iconic red overalls for the first time, the seven-time world champion has faced unexpected difficulties, not only due to the underwhelming performance of the SF-25 but also because of the challenges in adapting to a completely new environment, as confirmed by Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur.

Hamilton’s only significant result so far has been his victory in the China Sprint Race, an achievement that could have provided the right momentum for the former Mercedes driver to build a stronger season. However, that Shanghai Sprint remains his only podium finish to date. Since then, Hamilton’s Ferrari journey has often seemed arduous, with the British driver repeatedly beaten by his teammate Charles Leclerc, apart from two exceptions: Imola and Silverstone. Comments made by Hamilton between Spa and Budapest have also revealed his frustration and discontent.

In a candid interview with The Race, Frederic Vasseur admitted that both sides underestimated the time Hamilton would need to fully adapt. “Lewis and I, collectively, probably underestimated the change of environment and the fact that he spent 20 years in the same team,” Fred Vasseur explained. “He was with McLaren, then moved to Mercedes: an English team, the same engine engineers, the same culture, and so on. He spent 18 years in that environment from 2006 to 2024, and then he arrived at Ferrari. And we foolishly expected him to have everything under control,” he admitted.

Another factor that was overlooked is Hamilton’s infrequent experience in switching teams. “He’s not the type of driver who changes teams every two years,” Fred Vasseur added. “If you look at Carlos Sainz, for example, he raced with Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and Williams in just eight years. He changed teams four times and is accustomed to managing these situations. For Lewis, it was different. Culturally, the difference between Ferrari and Mercedes is greater than between Mercedes and McLaren, and we underestimated that.”

Fred Vasseur also highlighted that it took four or five races for Hamilton to gain a stronger sense of control within the team. “From Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Austria, he started to be more in control. Spa was a tough weekend for him with a difficult qualifying session, but he performed very well in the race. And in Hungary, I think the details were even better managed,” Fred Vasseur concluded, acknowledging that Hamilton is gradually finding his rhythm with Ferrari as the season progresses.

This insight sheds light on the adaptation challenges faced by even the most experienced Formula 1 champions when joining a new team with a very different culture and technical setup.