How one ex-Ferrari staff member may have undermined Lewis Hamilton’s debut season with Maranello team

Ferrari’s 2025 F1 Gamble Backfires — and Lewis Hamilton May Be Paying the Price for One Man’s Decision

When Fred Vasseur declared at the close of the 2024 Formula 1 season that Ferrari’s 2025 challenger would be “completely new,” few could have anticipated how costly that promise might become. The team boldly committed to redesigning 99% of their car despite a highly successful previous campaign, raising eyebrows across the paddock.

The decision was undeniably a gamble. Ferrari had just wrapped up one of their strongest seasons in over a decade, collecting 22 podium finishes—a remarkable feat considering they failed to clinch the championship. In fact, it was the first time since 2012 that a team topped the podium leaderboard without winning the title. With just a 14-point deficit to McLaren by the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari were tantalizingly close to championship glory. Many believed the team needed only to refine the winning formula, not tear it down.
Yet instead of fine-tuning, Ferrari embarked on a sweeping overhaul. The most talked-about change was a switch to a pull-rod front suspension, a radical departure from the previous architecture. While boldness can sometimes yield greatness, the early months of 2025 have made it clear that this redesign has left Ferrari in a vulnerable position. Far from challenging for wins, the team now struggles to replicate even a fraction of its 2024 success—let alone the five victories it celebrated last season.

The Cardile Decision: A Costly Turning Point for Ferrari’s 2025 Season

The architect of Ferrari’s dramatic design shift was Enrico Cardile, who served as technical director at Maranello. According to Brazilian journalist Julianne Cerasoli, it was Cardile who greenlit the aggressive changes to the SF-25, long before his unexpected switch to Aston Martin was publicly confirmed.
Cardile’s departure last summer created a puzzling situation. While the SF-25 was being finalized, the individual who shaped its fundamental concept was already preparing for life at a rival team. In hindsight, this sequence of events raises critical questions about Ferrari’s internal decision-making. Why was one man given so much influence over the team’s future when his own career path was uncertain?

Cerasoli has suggested that Hamilton’s debut season with Ferrari may have been compromised before he even stepped into the garage. Cardile, working with the best intentions for Ferrari at the time, implemented a vision that has yet to deliver results—and now, with his exit complete, he is no longer present to rectify the fallout.

Ferrari’s Engineering Struggles Undermine Lewis Hamilton’s Impact

As Ferrari wrestle with their underperforming 2025 car, Lewis Hamilton finds himself caught in the middle of a technical and operational crisis. Early reports suggest that the seven-time world champion is already dissatisfied with Ferrari’s working methods. Although Mercedes struggled during the ground-effect era, Hamilton had grown accustomed to a culture of relentless adaptation and championship-caliber execution. That level of engineering excellence is currently missing at Ferrari.
When Fred Vasseur signed Hamilton, the expectation extended far beyond his driving skills. The team hoped he would elevate the entire organization, bringing structure, insight, and motivation to a team in need of transformation. While it is too early to fully assess Hamilton’s long-term influence, it is clear that Ferrari’s operational issues are proving difficult to overcome.

Mistakes that have plagued the team for years continue to resurface, and Ferrari’s engineers are falling short in the area where Red Bull continues to thrive—weekend adaptation. The contrast is stark. Red Bull consistently uses free practice data to fine-tune their cars, frequently turning an average Friday into a race-winning Sunday. Max Verstappen benefits from a system that allows rapid evolution of setup and strategy. By contrast, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc often find themselves locked into disappointing weekends, unable to reverse their fortunes after the first day of running.

What’s Next for Ferrari and Hamilton?

Ferrari’s decision to rebuild rather than refine now looks increasingly questionable, especially as the team slips further behind its rivals in 2025. The risk they took in abandoning a proven package has not paid off—at least not yet. With the 2026 regulation overhaul looming, time is quickly running out to salvage this transitional season.

As for Hamilton, the challenge of restoring Ferrari to its former glory is proving even steeper than expected. While he remains a world-class talent, the team around him must improve its technical execution if they hope to provide him with the tools to win again.

Unless Ferrari can quickly rediscover the balance between bold innovation and competitive consistency, the 2025 season may be remembered not for a resurgence—but for a missed opportunity shaped by decisions made long before the first race began.
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