Formula 1 legend and former world champion Nigel Mansell is a driver who understands better than most the immense pressure, historic responsibility, and sheer intensity that come with racing for Scuderia Ferrari, widely regarded as the most legendary and prestigious team in the history of the FIA Formula One World Championship.
Nigel Mansell, one of the most accomplished and respected British racing drivers in the sport’s history, competed for Ferrari during the 1989 and 1990 Formula 1 seasons. During his time at the Maranello-based outfit, Mansell secured three Grand Prix victories and claimed 11 podium finishes, becoming a fan favorite among the passionate Tifosi. His tenure with the Italian squad, though not crowned with a world championship, cemented his legacy as one of the most beloved and determined drivers to ever wear Ferrari red. Mansell later returned to the Williams F1 Team, where he went on to win his one and only FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Championship title in 1992.
Since that time, only a select few British drivers have had the honor of racing for Scuderia Ferrari. Among them were Eddie Irvine, who nearly clinched the world title in 1999, and more recently, young British driver Oliver Bearman, who made a brief but notable appearance in 2024. Now, for the 2025 season, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has taken up the mantle of representing the United Kingdom at Ferrari, embarking on a new chapter in his illustrious Formula 1 career by joining the most historic team on the grid.
However, despite the fanfare surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile move from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team to Scuderia Ferrari, the first half of the 2025 Formula 1 season has not gone as smoothly as many had anticipated. Hamilton’s transition to life at Maranello has been marked by challenges, and his start to the season has been more frustrating than he or Ferrari would have hoped for.
Aside from securing a Sprint Race victory at the Shanghai International Circuit in China and claiming another podium finish during the Sprint weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has not yet stepped onto the podium during a traditional full-length Grand Prix in Ferrari colors. The overall performance of Scuderia Ferrari during the 2025 campaign has failed to match the expectations of Hamilton, who left a dominant Mercedes team in pursuit of a new challenge and a potential final title push.
1996 FIA Formula One World Champion Damon Hill has publicly expressed his belief that Lewis Hamilton is capable of helping Scuderia Ferrari solve their persistent competitive issues. However, Hill also acknowledged that Ferrari—under the guidance of Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur—is a team with deeply rooted traditions and engineering philosophies. The internal structure of the Maranello-based squad is known for operating in a very particular and rigid way, making it difficult for even a driver of Hamilton’s caliber to bring about immediate change.
At the age of 40, Lewis Hamilton is still searching for his first conventional Grand Prix podium finish since joining the Italian team. While many observers expected a quicker impact from the veteran champion, the reality has proven more complicated. Despite this, Nigel Mansell has voiced his belief in Hamilton’s ability to eventually succeed with Ferrari, even as he expressed concern over the apparent lack of progress the team has made since the conclusion of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Nigel Mansell Calls on Scuderia Ferrari to Regain Lost Form After Signing Lewis Hamilton
Nigel Mansell shared his thoughts on the current state of affairs at Scuderia Ferrari during a special appearance at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the most iconic motorsport events in the United Kingdom. On the third day of the festival, Mansell appeared on the famed Goodwood Balcony, where he joined an all-star cast of fellow Formula 1 legends including three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, double world champion Mika Häkkinen, four-time world champion Alain Prost, and former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Together, they greeted the large crowd that had gathered to witness the legendary figures participate in the historic Goodwood hill climb.
When asked about Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari and whether he believed the move would ultimately prove successful, Nigel Mansell responded with a mixture of praise and caution. He noted that he thought the move was “fantastic” and light-heartedly remarked that Hamilton now earns in a single season what it had taken him an entire decade to accumulate during his racing days. Mansell expressed his admiration for Hamilton, describing the British driver as “fantastic” and a “great world champion,” and said he sincerely hoped that both Hamilton and Ferrari would achieve success together.
However, Nigel Mansell also voiced concern over Ferrari’s performance trajectory. He said he wished that Scuderia Ferrari could regain “something” that they appeared to have lost over the winter break between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Mansell emphasized that Ferrari should be fighting for race wins and championships at the very front of the grid, but instead they seemed to have taken a step backward. His comments highlighted the widespread sentiment that the team has not built upon the momentum it showed during the previous year, when it was regularly challenging McLaren, Red Bull Racing, and Mercedes.
Ferrari Preparing Technical Upgrades to Help Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc Compete at the Front
Despite the setbacks, Scuderia Ferrari remains in contention near the top of the standings. As of mid-season, the team currently sits in second place in the FIA Formula One Constructors’ Championship. However, Ferrari’s lead over close rivals Mercedes and Red Bull Racing is slim, and the team will need to deliver consistent improvements if it hopes to maintain its position and close the gap to championship leaders McLaren.
Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, is undergoing a period of internal transition. The team’s performance in 2025 has been heavily dependent on whether newly appointed Team Principal Laurent Mekies can successfully help Yuki Tsunoda adapt to the current Red Bull chassis. The Japanese driver has struggled to find consistent form this season, and this has limited Red Bull’s ability to mount a sustained championship challenge.
Over at Mercedes, British driver George Russell has already enjoyed a strong season, having taken one race win and adding four additional podium finishes to his résumé. Russell’s form may have prompted Lewis Hamilton to reflect on whether leaving Mercedes was the right move at the right time. Nonetheless, Ferrari continues to pursue upgrades and remains focused on improving its SF-25 challenger.
The team from Maranello is currently finalizing the development of a new rear suspension system, which is expected to debut on Lewis Hamilton’s car at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. This technical update is designed to address the team’s ongoing difficulties with ride height management and overall mechanical stability.
By refining the rear suspension, Ferrari hopes to deliver improved handling in high-speed corners and better aerodynamic efficiency—two areas that have proven problematic throughout the current season. The goal is not only to enhance short-term competitiveness but also to lay the groundwork for the design of Ferrari’s 2026 car, which will be built under new Formula 1 technical regulations.
Nigel Mansell’s assertion that Ferrari has “lost something” over the winter seems increasingly justified, especially when reviewing how close the team came to overtaking McLaren in the 2024 standings. The new rear suspension upgrade, combined with Hamilton’s feedback and experience, could be crucial in helping Ferrari regain lost ground and return to being a consistent front-runner.
Looking ahead, Lewis Hamilton remains hopeful that the ongoing development efforts and technical improvements being implemented at Ferrari will ultimately allow the team to rise to the top once again. As work continues on the 2026 project behind the scenes, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are expected to play key roles in shaping the future of Formula 1’s most storied team.
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