Lewis Hamilton has experienced a challenging and disappointing start to his tenure with Ferrari in the 2025 Formula 1 season, with the iconic Italian team yet to secure a Grand Prix victory this year. Despite the high expectations surrounding his move from Mercedes, the Scuderia’s struggles have persisted through nearly two-thirds of the season.
Among Formula 1’s elite top four teams, Ferrari remains the only outfit without a race win after 14 of the 24 scheduled rounds. It was only at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix that Charles Leclerc finally ended Ferrari’s qualifying drought by securing their first pole position of 2025, breaking a 17-race streak without leading the grid.
Since Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 campaign, his qualifying performances have peaked at fourth place, achieved in Monaco and Austria. His race results have similarly plateaued, with his best finishes for the Scuderia being fourth place in Imola, Austria, and Great Britain.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marked Hamilton’s most disappointing result of the season to date, as he both qualified and finished down in 12th place. Before that, the only occasion Hamilton had failed to score points was during Ferrari’s unprecedented double disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix. This has added to the pressure on both the driver and the team.
In response to these ongoing performance issues, Ferrari has announced a strategic internal reshuffle, appointing Carlos Galbally Herrero as their new head of tyre performance. This decision aims to address Ferrari’s tyre management challenges, which have been a critical factor in their 2025 performance struggles.
Sources close to the team, reported by Formula1.it, have indicated that Ferrari hopes Herrero’s promotion will have an immediate and positive impact on the team’s performance in the second half of the season. The Scuderia currently sits second in the constructors’ championship but trails McLaren by a significant 299 points—McLaren having already secured 11 victories in 2025.
In the drivers’ standings, both Leclerc and Hamilton find themselves in fifth and sixth places, respectively, well behind the championship leader Oscar Piastri by 133 and 175 points. This gap highlights the urgent need for Ferrari to optimize their performance if they are to challenge the frontrunners.
Herrero’s experience with Ferrari dates back to 2016, and he has consistently played a pivotal role in the team’s approach to tyre strategy and performance. His expertise in maximizing Pirelli tyre performance is expected to be crucial in refining Ferrari’s race strategies moving forward.
Before taking on his new role, Herrero served as Ferrari’s head of tyre science between 2022 and 2024, where he focused on the technical analysis and development of tyre behavior under various race conditions. His promotion represents a step up in responsibility, signaling Ferrari’s intent to leverage his detailed understanding of tyre dynamics more directly.
Ferrari initially brought Herrero on board in November 2016 as a senior tyre performance engineer after he left Sauber, where he had worked for four and a half years. Prior to his time in Ferrari’s employ, Herrero also gained valuable experience at Mercedes from 2007 to 2012—years that notably preceded Hamilton’s tenure at the Silver Arrows.
Over the years, Herrero has held several key positions within Ferrari, including technical leader of tyre performance, head of tyre science, and head of vehicle dynamics. Now, as head of tyre performance, he faces the challenge of turning Ferrari’s tyre management woes into a competitive advantage for both Leclerc and Hamilton.
This restructuring in the technical department follows Ferrari’s recent move to provide Hamilton with additional engineering support. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton confirmed that Ferrari had assigned him a new performance engineer to assist alongside his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Although Ferrari did not officially name this engineer, it was revealed to be an internal promotion.
The Scuderia is optimistic that these internal changes, including Herrero’s appointment and the engineering support for Hamilton, will help the seven-time world champion regain confidence and deliver stronger results after the summer break. Hamilton’s self-assessment after qualifying 12th in Hungary was notably harsh, describing his performance as “useless,” while Charles Leclerc secured pole position.
The Italian side now faces the critical task of turning their season around, hoping that these strategic personnel moves will translate into improved race pace, better tyre management, and ultimately, Hamilton’s first podium finish in Ferrari colors during 2025.
Leave a Reply