With the Formula 1 season now over, the time has come to analyse one of the most debated topics of the year. The first, complicated chapter of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari adventure, shaped by huge expectations, on-track difficulties and an internal reality that differs from the perception seen from the outside.
The F1 season has just come to an end, making it inevitable to pause and analyse one of the most talked-about subjects: Lewis Hamilton’s first championship with Ferrari. It was a complex year, marked by enormous expectations, results that fell short of those expectations, and an external image that, according to the Maranello team, does not fully reflect the reality experienced within the Scuderia.
After 12 seasons spent at Mercedes and six world titles won, Lewis Hamilton chose to begin a new Formula 1 adventure with Ferrari, welcomed enthusiastically by both fans and team personnel. The objective was clear: to bring the Prancing Horse back to consistently fighting for the world championship. However, 2025 proved to be a far more difficult year than anticipated.
Despite success in the Sprint Race in China, achieved during the second race weekend of the season, Hamilton was unable to secure a single podium finish in a full-length Grand Prix. This was a historic statistic, considering that it had never happened before in his 19-year Formula 1 career. As the months went by, and following the decision by team principal Fred Vasseur to halt aerodynamic development of the SF-25 as early as the end of April, the British driver’s frustration grew, fuelling the external perception of a tense relationship between Hamilton and Ferrari.
The words of Togninalli, Ferrari head of track engineering
Clarifying the situation was Matteo Togninalli, who invited observers to interpret Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari season with a more balanced perspective.
“I’m sure you are all aware of this, but changing drivers, and for a driver changing teams, especially for someone like Lewis who spent 12 years with the same team and has a certain level of experience, is very difficult for both sides,” explained Togninalli.
The Ferrari engineer underlined how every Formula 1 team has different methods, people and processes, and how adaptation takes time, particularly for a driver who is used to constantly fighting for the world championship.
“Then, if you add the fact that Lewis is used to winning championships and that we did not achieve the objective of fighting for the title, frustration is created, and that generates a situation.” According to Matteo Togninalli, the image transmitted to the outside world was amplified by the negative results: “What you see from the outside is worse than what it really is on the inside. The relationship with Lewis, what we are building with him, is extremely positive.”
Despite the difficulties, Ferrari believes it has built a strong bond with the seven-time world champion in a relatively short space of time. “He spent 12 years with the same team, with the same people, and after 10 months we already have a very, very strong relationship with him.”
Looking ahead, there is confidence in Maranello. The arrival of a new regulatory era and the farewell to ground-effect cars, which Lewis Hamilton never particularly appreciated, could lead to better alignment between the car and the British driver’s driving style.
“I am confident,” Matteo Togninalli concluded. “I don’t think the relationship is as negative as you might think, but I am sure that, over time, it will improve. Results are obviously the biggest help. Give him a car that can perform, and you will get results. This is fundamental. We are racers, he is a racer, so the frustration when we lose is enormous.”
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