Gunther Steiner, the former Team Principal of the Haas Formula 1 team, has commented on what he believes could be one of the underlying reasons behind the difficulties that British driver Lewis Hamilton is currently experiencing at Scuderia Ferrari.
It is increasingly apparent that the partnership between Lewis Hamilton and the Maranello-based team is not progressing as smoothly as many had anticipated. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion has encountered several issues while trying to adapt to life at Ferrari, and both sides are now hoping that the arrival of the 2026 regulation changes will offer a fresh opportunity for improvement.
So far during the 2025 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton’s performance has fallen short of the high expectations that surrounded his sensational move to Ferrari. Aside from a victory in the Sprint Race at the Chinese Grand Prix, he has struggled to deliver consistently strong results. To be fair, a large part of the blame can be attributed to the SF-25, the 2025 Ferrari challenger, which has been far from competitive during the early races of the championship and is only now beginning to show signs of podium potential.
Former F1 figure points to the cause of Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles
But what exactly is behind these ongoing struggles? Former Formula 1 team boss Gunther Steiner has offered his insight. Speaking during an episode of the Business of Sport podcast, Steiner explained: “I believe that in Formula 1, there is only one driver who truly transcends the team—and that driver is Lewis Hamilton. His influence and stature go far beyond what happens on the racetrack. When you are phenomenal in your sport and equally impactful outside your professional world, then you can become bigger than the team itself.”
Gunther Steiner continued: “We’ve seen this happen in football, and the same dynamic applies to Formula 1. Right now, the only person who fits that description is Lewis Hamilton.”
Now that the British driver is part of the Ferrari organisation, Gunther Steiner believes that this phenomenon is even more pronounced. “Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are two iconic and extremely powerful brands,” he added. “And sometimes, this creates a sort of friction or tension between the two entities. The question then becomes: who is bigger—Hamilton or the Scuderia Ferrari team?”
The comments from Steiner raise an intriguing perspective on the complex relationship between a superstar driver and a legendary team, especially in a sport where both brand identity and performance are critical to success.
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