Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated move to Scuderia Ferrari was meant to reignite his pursuit of victory in Formula 1. However, by the halfway point of the 2025 season, the seven-time World Champion is still searching for his first win in red — something that few would have expected at the start of the year.
Throughout Hamilton’s illustrious career, there have only been two prior instances where he went winless in the first 12 races of a season. Both cases occurred during his final two years at Mercedes, in 2022 and 2023, and in each of those campaigns he failed to reach the top step of the podium entirely. With his winless streak continuing into his first season with Ferrari, the pressure is starting to mount.
To silence growing doubts about his decision to join the Maranello-based squad, Hamilton will need to deliver a stronger performance in the second half of the season. Comparisons are already being drawn between his results and those of others: George Russell has secured a Grand Prix victory for Mercedes this year, while rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has claimed a podium finish sooner than the very driver he replaced — Hamilton himself.
Ferrari is hoping to turn the tide with technical updates, including a much-anticipated rear suspension upgrade scheduled to debut at the Belgian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Hamilton has shown signs of progress in recent races, offering a glimmer of hope that a breakthrough may be near.
Despite this, former Formula 1 driver and current analyst Jolyon Palmer expressed concern over Hamilton’s performance this year. According to Palmer, the British driver appears to be struggling in key areas, and his current form at Ferrari falls short even when compared to his final season under Toto Wolff’s leadership at Mercedes.
Palmer reportedly described Hamilton’s adaptation to Ferrari as disappointing, emphasizing that the highly anticipated partnership between the British driver and the iconic Italian team has so far failed to live up to expectations. He suggested that the project, originally envisioned as a potential championship-winning combination, currently looks far from being on track to challenge the frontrunners.
Palmer also pointed out that Lewis Hamilton was not signed merely to act as a support driver to Charles Leclerc. Instead, Ferrari invested heavily in Hamilton to help return the Scuderia to race-winning form. However, as Palmer noted, McLaren has overtaken Ferrari in performance, and Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in standard Grand Prix conditions — a reality that casts doubt on the success of the partnership so far.
When asked to compare Lewis Hamilton’s current season to his final year at Mercedes, Palmer admitted that drawing direct comparisons is difficult, but added that from his perspective, Hamilton appears to be facing greater challenges this year. Palmer recalled that in 2023, Hamilton had already won at Silverstone and was on the verge of another victory in Belgium. He also remarked that while Hamilton may have been outqualified by George Russell at times, his race pace in 2023 generally appeared stronger.
Palmer also highlighted the contrast in environment between the two teams. At Mercedes, Hamilton had the stability of working alongside long-time race engineer Pete Bonnington and was in his eleventh season with the same team — a level of continuity he does not yet have at Ferrari. With Ferrari, Hamilton is still dealing with early adaptation issues, which naturally affect performance and consistency.
As the season progresses, Hamilton has begun to mount a response to Charles Leclerc’s early advantage. Leclerc currently leads his teammate by 16 points in the Drivers’ Championship standings. However, in recent qualifying sessions, Hamilton has managed to outperform Leclerc in three of the last four rounds. Prior to the British Grand Prix, though, Hamilton’s last race finish ahead of Charles Leclerc occurred back at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
Before his move to Ferrari, it was widely anticipated that Lewis Hamilton would face difficulties matching Leclerc’s one-lap pace. Charles Leclerc, who has been with Ferrari since 2019, has developed a strong connection with the Maranello team and is known throughout the paddock for his exceptional qualifying speed. His intimate knowledge of the Ferrari setup gave him an early edge over Hamilton.
However, as the season unfolds, concerns are beginning to shift from qualifying to race performance. If Lewis Hamilton is indeed starting to lose ground to Leclerc on Sundays — when championship points are awarded — it could represent a more serious issue for Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur.
Ferrari’s internal data suggests that the team continues to suffer from aerodynamic inefficiencies during races, particularly when running in traffic or “dirty air.” Yet, despite these factors, Leclerc is consistently managing to extract more from the SF-25 than his teammate. While the rear suspension upgrade at Spa-Francorchamps may offer some relief, Hamilton will need to show rapid improvement to justify Ferrari’s ambitious investment and to remain a key player in their fight for wins and podiums in the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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