Former F1 driver shocked at Ferrari’s reply to Lewis Hamilton’s radio during Baku weekend

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari adaptation raises concerns as Juan Pablo Montoya questions team support

Since joining Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has shown flashes of pace, particularly after the summer break, but has struggled to consistently turn that speed into strong race results. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion has been competitive at times, yet his partnership with the Scuderia still appears fragile, raising doubts from former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya about how effectively the team is supporting their star signing.

At the Dutch Grand Prix, the Briton was ahead of Charles Leclerc until the final qualifying session, where he lost out and started further back than expected. His weekend went downhill after a crash in the race, followed by a five-place grid penalty for Monza due to a yellow flag infringement. At Ferrari’s home event, Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify inside the top five, but ultimately crossed the line in sixth place, unable to capitalise fully on his earlier speed. His flashes of brilliance, such as topping practice sessions in Italy and Azerbaijan, have not translated into consistent points finishes.

In Baku, expectations were high after Hamilton set strong times in practice. However, a misjudged Q2 left him only 12th on the grid, despite his belief that a front-row start was within reach. Frustrated with the car’s balance and Ferrari’s tyre strategy, he ended the weekend in eighth place. These moments highlighted growing communication problems within the Ferrari garage, particularly during key qualifying sessions.

Montoya questions Ferrari’s radio communication with Hamilton

Juan Pablo Montoya has been especially critical of how Ferrari handled Hamilton’s in-race communication in Baku. When the British driver expressed concerns about overheating rear tyres and asked for guidance, Ferrari’s response—or lack of one—appeared dismissive. Juan Pablo Montoya likened the silence to a teacher ignoring a student who was not paying attention, describing it as an uncomfortable moment that reflected poorly on the team’s ability to manage their new driver.

According to Montoya, Hamilton seemed isolated over the radio, with Ferrari failing to provide clear feedback or reassurance when he needed it most. The incident fueled doubts about how well the team understands the requirements of working with a driver of Hamilton’s calibre, especially when quick adjustments are crucial in Formula 1 qualifying battles.

Riccardo Adami partnership under pressure

The focus has increasingly turned to Hamilton’s relationship with race engineer Riccardo Adami. The Italian engineer has worked successfully with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz in the past, but the chemistry with Hamilton has appeared strained. From the very first race in Australia, the Briton was dissatisfied with the level of information being delivered. In Miami, he even mocked the indecision coming from the pit wall as Ferrari debated team orders.

The contrast with Lewis Hamilton’s long-standing partnership with Peter Bonnington at Mercedes is stark. Over 12 seasons, Hamilton and Bonnington built one of the most successful engineer-driver pairings in Formula 1, securing multiple world titles together. Mercedes ensured Bonnington remained with the team by offering him a fresh contract, preventing any possibility of him moving to Maranello alongside Hamilton. For Montoya, this is a crucial factor: he believes Hamilton misses Bonnington’s calm guidance and tailored feedback, which could have helped him settle more quickly at Ferrari.

Montoya suggests Ferrari must adapt to Hamilton’s style

Montoya has argued that Ferrari are not making enough effort to adapt their systems and communication to Hamilton’s driving style. He explained that while Ferrari pointed out issues with Hamilton’s brake release technique, the deeper problem was that the setup was optimised for another driver rather than being adjusted for the Briton’s unique approach. The Colombian believes Ferrari should be focusing on tailoring the car’s characteristics around Hamilton rather than expecting him to simply adapt to existing settings.

This criticism highlights a broader concern about Ferrari’s driver management. With a seven-time world champion in the cockpit, the expectation is that the team would go the extra mile to maximise his potential. Instead, moments of miscommunication and mismatched setups have created an impression of disconnect between Hamilton and the pit wall.

A fight against time to avoid a historic low

With only seven races remaining in the current Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton is facing the possibility of completing a year without a single podium finish—the first time this would happen in his career. For Ferrari, the challenge lies not only in providing a competitive car but also in building a stronger strategic and communicative bond with Lewis Hamilton. Without this, Montoya and other observers believe Ferrari risk wasting one of the sport’s most iconic talents during a crucial phase of their championship campaign.