The seventy-fifth F1 season has been underway for two months and is now in full swing, ready for the sixth round in Miami. Yet after the first five races, the current season is offering plenty of talking points—not only from the often surprising results on track, but especially from matters off it. Still, 2025 seems destined to have a common thread that may remain constant until the final race in Abu Dhabi this December. Beyond McLaren’s dominance and various market topics, many eyes are focused on Lewis Hamilton’s adventure with Ferrari: the move that last year united the most successful driver and team in history, both eager to become even more legendary together.
A new beginning… not very exciting
This new pairing quickly ended the most successful partnership in F1 history, which lasted over ten years between the British driver and Mercedes, sparking much curiosity about how the seven-time world champion’s career would progress away from Brackley. So far, however, this new chapter in Sir Lewis’ story has been far worse than expected—apart from the flash of victory in the Chinese Sprint Race. In short, after arriving in Italy with the ambition of helping the team return to success, “The Hammer” is struggling to adapt his driving style to the SF-25, consistently falling behind—sometimes worryingly so for someone of his status—his teammate Charles Leclerc, who himself is overwhelmed by a disappointing and uncompetitive Ferrari that is doing everything it can to salvage a season that started with big promises.
Sprint repeat?
It’s an undeniably difficult moment for both the former Mercedes driver and the Prancing Horse, as discussed by Leo Turrini on his blog “Profondo Rosso.” He noted the disappointment at Maranello over the results of the early races and reflected on Lewis Hamilton’s poor form which, given recent circumstances, could see a surprising repeat during the Miami Sprint.
“Some think the F1 World Championship will really start in Barcelona, in a month, when the new front wing rules come into effect. […] The season started in March, and Ferrari was supposed to be ready in March. The rest is nonsense, though I’m the first to know that Maranello is disappointed. […] Let’s not pretend a single podium in five races is an acceptable outcome. It’s not. That said […] Miami hosts the second Sprint of the year. […] Hamilton’s feat in Shanghai remains a mystery. If he or Leclerc were to repeat it in Florida, it would mean Ferrari built a car suited for 100 km races, with low fuel and no tyre changes. If that’s the case, it would open a long debate about the team’s working methods. […] Still waiting for the saving grace of Barcelona (we’ll be a third of the way through the season by then, but it’s always the fault of whoever was there before).”
