Lewis Hamilton is certainly not shining in his first season wearing Ferrari red, and criticism from fans has arrived quickly. However, in his defence comes former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who has turned the spotlight instead onto Ferrari’s approach.
Hamilton is continuing to experience a difficult debut season with Scuderia Ferrari. His first year at Maranello, driving the Ferrari SF-25, has been marked by inconsistent results and a lack of complete harmony between the seven-time world champion and his new car. The British driver’s struggles have sparked a wave of criticism from fans and observers, who expected him to deliver immediately. Yet, not everyone is ready to blame Hamilton for these issues.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the Colombian ex-Formula 1 star who is now a pundit and host of the MontoyAS podcast with AS Colombia, has spoken out in Lewis Hamilton’s defence. According to Montoya, the problems cannot be attributed solely to the British driver. He suggested that there is also a degree of rigidity within the Ferrari garage that is making adaptation more difficult.
“Patience is needed: Hamilton knows how to drive, but Ferrari demands immediate adaptation”
When asked about Ferrari’s decision to sign Lewis Hamilton, Montoya recalled that Carlos Sainz had also endured a difficult first season after joining the Scuderia. “If we look at Carlos Sainz’s first year at Ferrari, it was not a positive one. When Ferrari decided to sign Hamilton, Sainz was still struggling. Only later did he begin to perform at a higher level. If that decision had been taken a year later, perhaps Ferrari would not have chosen Hamilton.”
For Montoya, the key issue is one of perspective. He explained that patience is essential: “It is not easy. Hamilton has been driving in a certain way for many years, and it works. The problem is that many engineers say: ‘This car needs to be driven differently’. But even the car itself is not that good.”
While Charles Leclerc has managed to adapt more quickly to the SF-25, Montoya warned against making that the benchmark for Hamilton. “The fact that Charles Leclerc is doing better does not mean the solution is to demand that Lewis Hamilton change. His driving style works — it has been successful for many years. The question is about finding a compromise, not about pointing the finger.”
Montoya’s comments underline the challenge of switching teams, even for a driver of Hamilton’s calibre. Success at Ferrari has never been automatic, and history shows that drivers often need time to adapt to Maranello’s culture and machinery. The Colombian reminded fans and critics alike that patience is crucial, especially when dealing with a driver who has proven himself one of the greatest in the history of Formula 1.
Leave a Reply