Lewis Hamilton is struggling: three words which unfortunately we have heard a lot in this start of the 2025 Formula 1 championship and which Ferrari is trying to erase. At the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Italian side showed timid signs of recovery, but the performances of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion are beginning to raise some concerns. The British champion has shown difficulties both in qualifying and over the 300 kilometer race distance, with a heavy fuel load, appearing more like a passenger than a protagonist in his SF-25 single-seater.
We have already explained in various technical analyses that the 677 project is anything but a well-designed car. The Maranello team around Charles Leclerc has accommodated the Monegasque driver’s requests through an extreme, high-performing configuration suited to his driving style. Conversely, Lewis Hamilton has yet to find the thread. The SF-25 does not give him the confidence needed to perform at his best, and as a result, his performance has struggled to emerge.
It is clear that Lewis is the one who could benefit most from the car’s development and refinement process. The team’s goal is to make the Italian car more neutral, manageable, and responsive to setup changes. After being disqualified in the Chinese Grand Prix for excessive plank wear, the setups adopted by Maranello’s technicians and engineers could not overlook the necessity of avoiding another exclusion at all costs.
In modern Formula 1, a millimeter or a kilogram can make all the difference. Honestly, after the media hype surrounding the arrival of the British driver, few expected such a sluggish start from the super talent, despite his solid Sprint Race win and pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit, his only victory so far.
Lewis Hamilton himself has made no secret of his deep disappointment. He made no excuses after the lackluster performance at the Jeddah circuit in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. If his teammate, with the same technical material, managed to earn a well-deserved podium just eight seconds behind race winner Oscar Piastri, then humility is needed to question oneself. Lewis Hamilton did just that, fully aware that a period of adaptation was inevitable.
This, considering that every team operates with different methods and procedures. The issue is that the SF-25 car has not helped him in this initial phase. But he is not trying to justify himself, so why should we? What is certain is that the historic Maranello-based team will support him in every way to help him get through this difficult phase. The Italian side confirmed this through team principal Frederic Vasseur.
In other words, the utmost effort will be made to allow the seven-time Formula 1 world champion to express his potential consistently. Many have bet on the revitalizing effect that moving to Ferrari could have for the Briton, in what may be the final chapter of his long career. According to what has been reported by various Italian news media outlets, the British champion took up the challenge with the mindset of someone who knows he must start from scratch.
After all, Lewis Hamilton is the first to know that past success grinds no grain. One cannot live off past glory, especially at Maranello, where even multiple world champions have failed to add to the Prancing Horse’s trophy cabinet. Some examples? Alain Prost, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel. Though they reached the pinnacle of their careers, they clashed with the harsh Italian reality that too often shows no mercy.
A change of pace is needed and quickly. Lewis Hamilton has already started to do just that, sacrificing part of his promotional and personal commitments to fully immerse himself in daily work alongside his engineers. The former Mercedes driver does not intend to merely make a symbolic appearance as a living legend of the top category. That is why this week, he is spending a lot of time at the Maranello factory, a lot more than expected.
At the same time, his signing represents the first true decision strongly desired by the current leadership of the Italian team. In that sense, we cannot forget that the British champion is a clear investment that cannot fail, because a potential flop in this racing campaign would inevitably call into question the vision and capabilities of those currently leading Ferrari.
However, the marketing tied to the “partnership of the century” must be fueled by results on the track. Otherwise, the entire operation risks turning into a perfect boomerang, loud and damaging for the Maranello squad. Ferrari cannot afford to get this move wrong, and for that reason as well, it will do everything to fiercely protect the capital and legacy invested.
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