Lewis Hamilton reverses stance on Ferrari after just one day in Jeddah. Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at the Saudi Arabian GP highlight growing concerns over his form at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton’s Saudi Struggles Deepen as Confidence in Ferrari Wanes and 2025 Outlook Darkens

Lewis Hamilton endured a disappointing weekend at the Jeddah Grand Prix, leaving Jeddah with growing doubts about his chances of success in 2025. Despite having recently secured a morale-boosting Sprint victory in China, Hamilton’s optimism appears to be rapidly eroding. The seven-time world champion finished seventh both in qualifying and in the race, falling well short of extracting the full performance potential of the Ferrari SF-25.

While those results may not seem disastrous on paper, they tell only part of the story. Hamilton was comprehensively outpaced by teammate Charles Leclerc, who beat him by half a second in qualifying. Even more concerning for the British driver, Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman—making his debut earlier in the season—had managed to finish closer to Leclerc than Hamilton did last weekend. The performance gap is becoming harder to overlook.

Hamilton did enjoy a promising start by overtaking Carlos Sainz, and for a few laps, he fiercely defended his position from Lando Norris. However, he was eventually passed and struggled to regain momentum. Unable to catch Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton crossed the line more than 30 seconds behind Leclerc, who secured Ferrari’s first podium of the season with a commanding drive. Charles Leclerc now leads Hamilton by 16 points in the drivers’ championship, having contributed over 60% of Ferrari’s total points haul so far.

Hamilton’s Mood Shifted Dramatically Between Qualifying and Race Day in Jeddah

Despite the growing performance deficit to his teammate, Hamilton remained relatively upbeat after qualifying. In an interview with Sky Sports, he reportedly stated that he wouldn’t give up, describing the situation as “really difficult” but expressing faith that perseverance and team support would eventually lead to improvement. He had said that where there was a will, there was a way, and reaffirmed his commitment to keep pushing and striving for better results.

However, Hamilton’s tone changed markedly following Sunday’s race. Frustrated by the car’s lack of grip—an issue he reported over team radio—his post-race comments reflected deep disillusionment. Speaking again to Sky Sports, he remarked that there was “no fix” for the problems he was facing, suggesting that any hope of meaningful progress this season had been extinguished.

He even went so far as to hint at writing off the remainder of 2025, warning fans that the rest of the season might be painful. While such remarks are often made in the emotional moments after a difficult race, they hint at a growing sense of resignation within the driver’s camp. With sweeping regulation changes set for next year, Hamilton may already be shifting his focus to 2026.

Why Some Believe Mercedes Is Better Off Without Hamilton in 2025

Although there are still 19 races remaining in the 2025 Formula 1 season—a number that once represented a full calendar— the Briton’s continued struggles have fueled speculation about his future form. With a two-week break following the triple-header, he will have time to reflect and recalibrate, but the clock is ticking.

Consistency and raw pace should ideally come more naturally by this stage, particularly for a driver of Hamilton’s experience. Even Carlos Sainz, who initially faced a steep learning curve at Williams, has shown signs of recovery in recent races. Hamilton, by contrast, seems to be wrestling not just with the car, but perhaps with the era itself.

His dedication cannot be questioned. In Jeddah, he reportedly stayed late into the night to debrief with his engineers and analyse what went wrong. Yet there is growing concern that his discomfort with the current generation of Formula 1 cars is too deeply rooted to be solved through effort alone.

Former F1 technical director Gary Anderson has gone as far as to suggest that Mercedes are in a better place without Hamilton. According to Anderson, the team has gained stability since stepping away from the experimental setups often requested by the British driver. Without the pressure to chase radical innovations, Mercedes may now be finding a more solid foundation on which to rebuild.

As the 2025 season progresses, all eyes will remain on Hamilton—not just to see whether he can close the gap to Leclerc, but whether he can rediscover the form and confidence that once made him virtually unbeatable. For now, though, his Ferrari chapter remains a story of unfulfilled promise.