Lewis Hamilton’s debut campaign with Scuderia Ferrari in 2025 has proved far more challenging than expected, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion finding it difficult to achieve consistent results alongside teammate Charles Leclerc.
After pushing McLaren all the way to the final rounds of the 2024 championship fight, Ferrari entered the new campaign full of optimism. Over the winter, the Italian outfit worked extensively on the SF-25, introducing a series of updates aimed at closing the remaining gap to their rivals. Although the car showed measurable progress in terms of outright lap time compared to its predecessor, a deeper structural issue has undermined their race pace, leaving both Hamilton and Leclerc frustrated when it comes to delivering results on Sundays.
The situation came to a head at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc, despite securing pole position, slipped down the order and was unable to finish on the podium. His frustration was evident over team communications as he struggled with the car’s limitations in race conditions. For Hamilton, the scenario has been equally discouraging. Although he has expressed his dissatisfaction to the media about the difficulties of adapting to Ferrari, a closer examination of his statistical performance reveals a more nuanced picture.
Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 Mercedes campaign compared with Ferrari in 2025
While the 2024 season at Mercedes was inconsistent, the team still produced flashes of competitiveness around the middle of the year. Hamilton managed to take two victories during that period, while George Russell also added wins to underline the team’s capability at certain circuits.
By contrast, at the halfway point of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Hamilton’s average finishing position with Ferrari stands at sixth place—remarkably close to the fifth-place average he held at the same stage with Mercedes in 2024. His points tally is also comparable, with only a 16-point difference between the two seasons. The most notable gap, however, lies in podiums: Hamilton stood on the rostrum four times in the first half of 2024, while his Ferrari campaign has produced fewer moments of celebration.
These statistics highlight an important truth: although Hamilton has often described his Ferrari experience so far as disappointing, in pure numbers his output is not drastically worse than what he achieved in a Mercedes that was considered more competitive last year. It illustrates his ability to extract performance from a difficult package, even if the machinery has not lived up to his original expectations when signing for the Scuderia.
Ferrari and Hamilton targeting solutions ahead of 2026
Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari runs through 2026 with an option to extend further, but speculation continues to circulate regarding whether the British driver might reconsider his long-term future if the team cannot provide him with a genuine race-winning car. Entering the season, the Briton likely saw 2025 as a golden opportunity to remain competitive at the front, particularly given Ferrari’s strong finish to 2024. Yet despite ranking as the second force behind McLaren, Ferrari have not converted that potential into a full Grand Prix victory so far.
The one highlight came at the Chinese Sprint race, where Hamilton managed to claim a win in the shorter format, offering fans a glimpse of what could be possible. However, since that moment, the season has turned into an uphill battle, with Ferrari introducing significant development updates that have not always translated into consistent race results.
Now that the championship moves into its second half, attention across the paddock is beginning to shift toward the all-important 2026 regulation changes. For Lewis Hamilton, this stage of the year is vital. He will want Ferrari’s technical department to address the fundamental weaknesses of the SF-25 while also ensuring that his input as a driver is carefully considered in the early stages of the 2026 project. With his wealth of experience and record-breaking achievements, Hamilton knows that his legacy at Ferrari will depend not only on results in 2025 but also on how effectively the team can use his feedback to shape a truly competitive future car.
For Ferrari, the challenge is clear: if they are to keep Lewis Hamilton motivated and committed until the end of his deal, they must prove that the dream of seeing him win in red is still alive. Otherwise, the risk grows that his time in Maranello could come to an early and frustrating conclusion.
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