Lewis Hamilton Frustrated by Ferrari’s Poor Race Form Despite Sprint Podiums in 2025
Lewis Hamilton secured his second Sprint podium of the 2025 Formula 1 season during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, offering a brief highlight in an otherwise challenging start to his first year with Ferrari. While the 40-year-old managed to showcase his racecraft in the shorter format, his performances in full-length Grands Prix have fallen short of expectations. Ferrari has yet to deliver a Sunday result that places Hamilton on the podium, underscoring the team’s ongoing inconsistencies in race execution.
Ferrari appears to have a better grasp of strategy and car performance in Sprint races, with Hamilton expertly managing his race to secure third in Miami’s shortened contest. However, the Maranello team continues to struggle with race pace and tyre longevity over full distances. The seven-time world champion has only managed one top-five finish in the opening six rounds of the season and currently sits seventh in the drivers’ championship with 41 points. The Miami Grand Prix served as a painful reminder of Ferrari’s limitations, as multiple weaknesses in both car performance and team coordination were exposed.
In Miami, Ferrari trailed not only Red Bull and McLaren but also Mercedes and, unexpectedly, Williams. Lewis Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc finished in seventh and eighth respectively, with Hamilton crossing the line over a minute behind race winner Oscar Piastri. On-track tensions between the two Ferrari drivers only compounded the team’s difficulties.
Once again, Ferrari’s race management came under scrutiny. The team’s indecision over team orders created unnecessary friction, culminating in Hamilton’s exasperated radio messages after being asked to let Charles Leclerc through. The sarcastic tone in his communication, according to observers like Damon Hill, highlighted just how frustrated the Briton had become. Insiders suggested that such messages likely irritated Ferrari’s leadership, who historically prefer firm control and unity from within the cockpit. Still, the exchange laid bare Hamilton’s ongoing struggle to connect with the SF-25 and adapt to a team culture that remains unfamiliar to him.
Former F1 technical director Gary Anderson has also weighed in on Ferrari’s struggles, noting that the SF-25 appears to be a poor fit for Hamilton’s driving style. According to Gary Anderson, the car lacks the kind of feedback Hamilton relies on to push the limits and read changing conditions effectively. The Northern Irish semi-retired racing car designer and motorsport pundit explained that the British driver has always excelled when track conditions are evolving—such as during wet races—due to his ability to extract performance based on real-time sensations from the car. Unfortunately for the Briton, the SF-25’s driving characteristics seem numb and uncommunicative, likened to driving a “brick” rather than a precision tool.
Anderson also suggested that Ferrari’s frequent car setup changes might be making things worse. He implied that constant alterations could be preventing the seven-time Formula 1 world champion from building a stable reference point—a critical aspect for a driver so reliant on feedback to maximise performance. Without that consistency, the margin for error and improvement narrows considerably, particularly against rivals like McLaren and Red Bull who have developed cars with far more predictable behaviour.
Meanwhile, tyre management continues to be another Achilles heel for Ferrari. Following the race in Miami, team principal Fred Vasseur was reported to have discussed this specific issue with Lewis Hamilton in a bid to make progress. While the conversation offered some reassurance to fans, it also pointed to the underlying problems Ferrari must urgently solve.
The challenges facing Ferrari, however, are not limited to the car’s design. Communication within the team—particularly between Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami—has emerged as a significant concern. Their radio interactions have at times been tense and misaligned, most notably in Miami. Though the partnership is still in its early stages, the volatility of their exchanges has raised eyebrows and invited criticism from former drivers and commentators.
Ralf Schumacher has publicly stated that Hamilton may still be experiencing internal difficulties in adapting to the team’s environment and communication protocols. If true, these issues need resolving quickly. With 18 Grands Prix and four Sprint races still on the calendar, Ferrari cannot afford further missteps if they aim to recover lost ground in both championships.
At present, Ferrari languishes fourth in the constructors’ standings—already 152 points behind leaders McLaren. Their form in Miami, where the SF-25 was arguably only the fifth-fastest car, suggests that both performance and operational clarity must improve dramatically. If not, even a driver of Lewis Hamilton’s calibre will find it hard to rescue what is fast becoming another disappointing campaign for the Scuderia.
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