Lewis Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari has turned into one of the most disappointing seasons of his illustrious Formula 1 career. As the 2025 campaign nears its end, the seven-time world champion continues to face a string of frustrations, both on and off the track, as the Scuderia struggles to overcome persistent technical and operational problems behind the scenes.
With only three races remaining, Hamilton is still chasing his first podium finish for Ferrari. The British driver has scored just 148 points so far, a total significantly lower than that of his teammate Charles Leclerc, who has amassed 214 points and seven podium finishes this season. Despite four fourth-place finishes, Hamilton has been unable to break into the top three, with consistency proving to be one of his biggest challenges since joining the Italian team.
Hamilton’s difficulties stem largely from his struggle to adapt to the characteristics of the Ferrari SF-25. The car’s unpredictable balance and sensitivity to setup changes have left him battling for rhythm throughout the year. Ferrari’s recurring ride height and suspension issues have only made matters worse, with team principal Frédéric Vasseur reportedly pushing for a new rear suspension concept earlier in the season in a bid to stabilize the car’s handling. However, those updates delivered little to no performance gains, leaving Hamilton increasingly disillusioned with the team’s technical direction.
According to insiders in Maranello, Hamilton has expressed his concerns privately, sending detailed feedback documents to the technical department with suggestions for structural improvements and long-term planning. Yet, despite his input, there is a growing sense that he has not been able to provide the same kind of technical influence that his predecessor, Carlos Sainz, once offered within the team.
Lewis Hamilton has not filled the technical void left by Carlos Sainz at Ferrari
Ferrari remain winless in the 2025 Formula 1 season, a fact that highlights how the team’s development direction has faltered since Sainz’s departure. The only success for Lewis Hamilton came earlier in the year when he claimed victory in the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, while Ferrari’s last full Grand Prix win dates back to Carlos Sainz’s triumph in Mexico 2024.
Carlos Sainz’s move to Williams at the start of 2025 was triggered by Ferrari’s decision to sign Hamilton, but his absence has been deeply felt inside the Maranello headquarters. The Spanish driver had become one of Ferrari’s most technically engaged and communicative figures. Reports from Marca noted that Carlos Sainz’s connection with the engineering team was “absolute,” and his commitment to understanding every mechanical and aerodynamic aspect of the car was unmatched. Since joining Ferrari in 2020, the Spaniard played a fundamental role in helping the Scuderia close the gap to McLaren and Red Bull, contributing heavily to the design philosophy that carried the team through 2023 and 2024.
In contrast, Lewis Hamilton’s approach is more instinctive and focused on driving feel rather than mechanical fine-tuning. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are known to rely on their natural adaptability rather than deep technical feedback during car setup sessions. This dynamic has created difficulties within the team, as neither driver provides the kind of precise engineering feedback that Carlos Sainz once did. Charles Leclerc tends to prefer a more lively rear end and sharper corner entry, while Hamilton prefers stability and a smoother rotation — two fundamentally different philosophies that complicate Ferrari’s setup direction.
Sources close to the team suggest that the Briton is determined to “bring his own DNA” to Ferrari, shaping the car’s handling around his unique style. However, this personal approach may be limiting the team’s ability to establish a unified development direction. As a result, the internal balance and cohesion that existed during the Leclerc–Sainz partnership appear to have been disrupted, leaving the engineers struggling to find a baseline setup that satisfies both drivers.
Ferrari’s internal instability revealed at the Brazilian Grand Prix
The recent Brazilian Grand Prix served as a painful reminder of Ferrari’s ongoing struggles. The team failed to score points for the third time this season, following a weekend marred by poor pace, strategic confusion, and on-track incidents involving both drivers. From Friday’s practice sessions to Sunday’s race, Ferrari lacked competitiveness, with the SF-25 consistently off the pace of Red Bull, McLaren, and even Aston Martin.
The race unraveled almost immediately. On the opening lap, Lewis Hamilton made contact with former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz at the first corner, dropping to the back of the pack. His misfortunes continued when he collided with Franco Colapinto, damaging his front wing. The debris lodged under the car’s floor, compromising the aerodynamics and forcing Lewis Hamilton to retire on lap 40. The stewards handed him a penalty for the incident with Colapinto, adding to his frustration as he voiced his anger over the team radio.
Leclerc’s race also ended prematurely when he was caught up in an early collision caused by Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli at turn one, which sent Antonelli’s car spinning into the Ferrari. The double retirement compounded a miserable weekend for the team, deepening concerns about Ferrari’s consistency and technical execution.
Experts call for a complete reset at Ferrari
Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has stated that Lewis Hamilton needs what he described as a “complete reset” following the disastrous weekend in São Paulo. Palmer suggested that Ferrari’s struggles are not solely performance-related but also rooted in deeper operational and developmental inefficiencies. The team’s inability to extract the full potential of its car, combined with Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing adaptation issues, paints a picture of a team in need of fundamental restructuring before the 2026 regulations take effect.
As the championship heads into the final rounds, including the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix, Ferrari are desperate for a turnaround. While Lewis Hamilton’s experience and determination remain unquestionable, the Scuderia’s path forward will depend on whether they can reestablish technical cohesion and recapture the collaborative spirit that once made Ferrari a front-running force.
Until then, the combination of Lewis Hamilton’s adjustment phase, Charles Leclerc’s contrasting driving style, and the loss of Carlos Sainz’s analytical input continues to highlight the core issue — that Ferrari’s problems in 2025 go far beyond just a difficult car. They stem from a lack of unity, direction, and technical synergy within Maranello, something the team must urgently address if they wish to return to winning ways.
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