The former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola recently spoke in an interview to shed light on the current situation of Lewis Hamilton within the Scuderia Ferrari team. Amid strong statements, a lack of positive results, and growing frustrations, the first part of the 2025 Formula 1 season for the British driver Lewis Hamilton has been somewhat subdued. After 14 Grand Prix races, unlike his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, Hamilton has yet to secure a podium finish, with the only exceptions being the Sprint races held in China and Miami.
Luigi Mazzola has an extensive history working at Ferrari alongside legendary drivers such as Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Michael Schumacher. In his recent interview with NewsF1, Mazzola attempted to explain and identify the reasons behind Lewis Hamilton’s current difficulties adapting and performing with the Italian team.
The possible causes behind Hamilton’s struggles
According to Luigi Mazzola, Ferrari’s decision to hire Lewis Hamilton was driven by the ambition to win a World Championship title. However, the reality of the ongoing season has painted a different picture: “Why did John Elkann decide to bring him on board? Clearly supported by Frederic Vasseur, the team was missing one thing: a world champion to win the championship. Obviously, there was this equation — if you want to win a world title, you need a world champion.”
Luigi Mazzola clarified further: “Firstly, maybe Hamilton is realizing that Ferrari is not like Mercedes. There is something off in the team’s organization here; it’s necessary to clarify those points, and that’s where the first internal reports or dossiers begin to appear, providing useful insights.” Another issue, besides recognizing the differences between Mercedes and Ferrari, might be related to Hamilton’s trust in his own team’s pit wall: “He might also realize, especially considering the errors and the lack of confidence that comes across in radio communications with the engineers, that the situation is not ideal. It may also reveal that he doesn’t fully trust the competence of the people around him, which is another matter. He’s making notes and creating reports about this.”
The comparison with Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton’s main rival within Ferrari is none other than Charles Leclerc himself. Luigi Mazzola explained: “You can make reports all day long, but if you are not out there in front, or if you’re not ahead of your teammate, it doesn’t count. Why? Because the team might say, ‘Look, I appreciate all this, but the other driver in the current situation is faster, performing better than you.’ So it might not be purely organizational or technical competence — there could be a factor related to you.”
The engineer added: “Hamilton is probably living through this scenario. His reports might be accurate, but the problem is that the team has to listen and take them seriously. When you have a driver who earns pole position and you’re 13th on the grid — then moved to 12th because Antonelli’s time was deleted — there is a big difference. So who do you trust? Hamilton also carries this frustration. You can talk and talk, but if you are behind, you lose authority.”
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