The Canadian Grand Prix was a real ordeal for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion finished sixth, but after the first pit stop, he no longer had any real pace. The blame, if it can be called that, was due to an unfortunate encounter with a groundhog hit head-on before the hairpin at Turn 10, which damaged his car and cost him 20 points of aerodynamic load.
Bad luck seems to have perfect vision, especially in situations already as complicated as the one facing the Briton. The overall atmosphere at Ferrari is not good, but Lewis Hamilton’s attitude does not seem to be the right one—at least not in front of the cameras or once he is in the car. He has always been a very emotional person, and when things go wrong, he tends to feel the weight of it.
Arriving in Maranello and hoping to find a well-organized structure is, unfortunately, unrealistic. And that is the point this article intends to focus on, more than on the performance in Montreal, which objectively leaves nothing else to be said. The seven-time world champion opened up in post-race interviews, offering some very telling insights.
He reiterated that he honestly did not know why the team still hadn’t introduced any updates. He said he hoped—and was partially convinced—that one would arrive soon. However, in his view, small developments would not be enough; what was needed were deeper structural changes. Lewis Hamilton expressed a desire to explain everything that was happening behind the scenes, noting that many elements were in motion and that a lot of things would clarify the situation, but he admitted he could not reveal too much.
The former Mercedes man acknowledged that this season had seen various problems and that some internal dynamics were evolving. His goal, he explained, was to contribute positively to these processes, to support solid and lasting change. He stressed the need for major interventions and made clear his intention to help build a winning foundation for the future. He also noted that being honest meant admitting that the title fight was currently out of reach. Ferrari was out of contention, and focusing too much on the current season would be pointless. Lewis Hamilton emphasized the importance of looking ahead and concentrating on what truly mattered: the future. The top priority was building a genuinely competitive car for the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, and he was determined to ensure that real progress would already be visible in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton dropped quite a bombshell. First of all, he continued to vocally demand aerodynamic updates that still hadn’t arrived. Since Frederic Vasseur became Ferrari’s team principal, the Frenchman has consistently avoided the update question, preferring to optimize the existing package first. Compared to 2024, however, the car is dreadful—an undeniable fact that cannot be ignored.
The key point raised by Lewis Hamilton, though, concerns the team’s structure. What exactly is happening at Maranello? His remarks echoed what Fred Vasseur said to the French media on Friday: “You have to ask the right questions if Ferrari hasn’t been winning for years. We’ve changed the team principal, the drivers, and practically everything except one thing.”
What hasn’t changed? A few key personnel? Some technical aspects within the Ferrari Racing department? It’s impossible to say for certain, but the fact remains that Lewis Hamilton wants to influence the short and medium-term future of the Italian side, especially with the arrival of the new technical regulations next year. He smiled as he spoke, clearly wanting to show that he’s at the heart of this transformation, suggesting how the team can get back to winning.
After all, part of his move to Maranello was meant precisely for this: to bring a working methodology to an environment that, unfortunately, does not know how to win. That’s not a criticism for its own sake, it’s a fact. This is a work-in-progress situation. Perhaps it would be better for Ferrari fans to make peace with that reality and wait patiently for better times, possibly by putting their trust in a seven-time Formula 1 world champion.
— see video above —
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