Lewis Hamilton and the data that gives Ferrari and Fred Vasseur confidence. Lewis Hamilton still believes in Ferrari and continues to trust Vasseur's team.

Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 season start has not lived up to expectations. After the encouraging signs from 2024 with the SF-24, which saw Fred Vasseur’s team battling on equal terms with McLaren, a step forward was expected with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton. Instead, with just 17 points after two races, the Maranello team finds itself in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, marking its worst start since 2009.

A Mixed Debut for Hamilton and the SF-25
The new SF-25 has shown inconsistent potential: on one hand, Lewis Hamilton’s triumph in the Shanghai Sprint Race; on the other, operational errors and ineffective strategies that have hindered the team in the main races. Despite securing pole position and winning the Chinese sprint event, the overall points haul remains modest, especially compared to the strong results of rival McLaren.

Speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the strength of his former team: “McLaren has done a great job; they seem very strong. They have great pace in long runs and in all conditions.”

Despite the initial gap, the seven-time world champion maintains a positive outlook: “This is not how we approach each weekend. We are still learning the car and trying to extract more from it. We are not at McLaren’s level, but I think we can close the gap.” – the Briton pointed out.

Lewis Hamilton also dismissed pessimistic rumors suggesting the project is a failure: his victory in the Chinese Sprint was clear proof of the SF-25’s untapped potential.

Vasseur: “The Car Is Not Wrong”
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur also defended the team’s technical project, firmly rejecting any speculation of a technical crisis: “I don’t need to be reassured by the pole position and Sprint victory. I can clearly see that the car is not wrong, and the numbers prove it.”

The French manager emphasized that Lewis Hamilton’s advantage in the early laps of the Sprint—over seven seconds—was one of the most dominant displays seen so far this season: “It was perhaps the clearest show of dominance among the races contested so far.” – the Ferrari team boss added ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.