Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari 2025 struggles exposed by repeated radio question
The 2025 Formula 1 season proved to be one of the most challenging campaigns in Lewis Hamilton’s illustrious career, and Ferrari as a team also failed to meet expectations. The British driver’s high-profile transfer to Maranello had generated unprecedented excitement in the winter, with fans and pundits alike anticipating a championship challenge. Instead, both Hamilton and Ferrari ended up as the season’s major disappointments.
Lewis Hamilton did not reach the podium even once throughout the season—a stark contrast to his remarkable record of at least five podium finishes in each of his first seventeen seasons in Formula 1. On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc, while also struggling to secure a race victory, managed to collect seven podium finishes, highlighting the widening performance gap between the two Ferrari drivers. Analysts quickly pointed to the ground-effect SF-25 as a car that did not suit Hamilton’s driving style, while others suggested that the 40-year-old’s physical and reflexive edge may be starting to decline.
However, the disappointing results were not solely down to Hamilton or the car’s design. Miscommunication and execution issues compounded the problems, meaning Ferrari left significant points on the table throughout the season. This underlined the urgent need for a better synergy between driver and engineering team.
‘Where’s all that time?’: Lewis Hamilton’s most repeated radio message
Lewis Hamilton’s radio exchanges with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami became a focal point of media attention and fan analysis from the very first race of the season. Over the course of the year, the most recurring phrase on Ferrari’s radio was the Briton asking variations of, “Where is all that time?”—a question he raised at least 21 times during races.
In Formula 1, an engineer’s role is to clearly communicate to the driver where they are losing performance compared to their rivals. Ideally, Hamilton would already have understood which corners or sectors of the track were costing him time. Yet, throughout 2025, he frequently sounded genuinely frustrated and puzzled by the significant gaps to Charles Leclerc or the consistently faster McLaren cars.
Instead of identifying and applying his own solutions, Lewis Hamilton often appeared to try to imitate the driving style of Charles Leclerc, rather than exploiting the SF-25 in a way that matched his own strengths. This highlighted a deeper disconnect between the seven-time world champion and Ferrari’s ground-effect machinery.
Lessons from radio communication: learning from rivals and former teammates
Experts believe that Lewis Hamilton needs to take cues from how other top drivers manage radio communication. Former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos suggested that Lewis Hamilton could benefit from motivating and directing the Ferrari team over the radio in the way that Max Verstappen does at Red Bull, maintaining clear and strategic communication during races.
Similarly, Karun Chandhok expressed concerns that Lewis Hamilton may still be adjusting to the communication style and working dynamic with Riccardo Adami, especially after more than a decade working closely with his former Mercedes engineer Peter Bonnington. Karun Chandhok emphasized that studying the radio exchanges of other drivers, including George Russell’s interactions with Mercedes engineer Marcus Dudley, could provide a valuable blueprint for effective communication and race management.
The upcoming winter break offers Lewis Hamilton and Riccardo Adami an essential opportunity to review their first season together, refine their processes, and address any recurring misunderstandings. Improvements in this area will be crucial if the British driver aims to fully exploit the SF-25’s potential and secure competitive results for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Key takeaways from Hamilton’s 2025 Ferrari season
- Lewis Hamilton struggled to adapt to Ferrari’s ground-effect SF-25, failing to reach the podium for the first time in 18 seasons.
- Charles Leclerc outperformed Hamilton in terms of podiums, claiming seven finishes in the points and demonstrating better adaptation to the car.
- Hamilton repeatedly asked over the radio, “Where is all that time?” reflecting both frustration and difficulty in diagnosing performance issues on track.
- Experts suggest Hamilton could learn from other drivers’ radio strategies to better motivate and direct the Ferrari team during races.
- The winter break will be a critical period for Lewis Hamilton and Riccardo Adami to improve communication, adjust strategy, and strengthen their working relationship ahead of the 2026 season.
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