Lewis Hamilton supported by another driver in the F1 paddock: “I know how hard it is to arrive at Ferrari”. Esteban Ocon defends Lewis Hamilton amid his struggles at Ferrari.

Esteban Ocon expressed solidarity with Lewis Hamilton, acknowledging the challenges the seven-time Formula 1 world champion is facing in his first year at Ferrari. The Frenchman from Haas, who drives a car that shares many components with the Ferrari, explained that he fully understands the problems the Briton is dealing with during this adaptation phase.

Are Lewis Hamilton’s struggles normal?
Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes at the end of 2024 after 12 seasons filled with success, including six world titles. However, his start with the Maranello team has been more complicated than expected. His best race result so far has been fifth place in Bahrain, while his only real satisfaction has come from the Sprints: a win in China and a third place in Miami.

According to Esteban Ocon, Lewis Hamilton’s struggles are mainly due to the radical change in car philosophy: “It’s very difficult, especially when you change car philosophy. Haas and Ferrari have a lot of similarities, so I can understand what Lewis is going through,” Esteban Ocon told the media.

The French driver, who has also driven a Mercedes in the past, emphasized how different Ferrari feels compared to the Brackley-built cars: “I’ve also driven the Mercedes, and it’s a completely different way of driving and extracting performance from the car. The feeling is very different, so adapting is not easy at all. But I’m sure he’ll soon find the right path.”

Lewis Hamilton has recently complained about instability under braking and a general lack of feeling with the car. Esteban Ocon confirmed that this is also true for him and for Oliver Bearman, his teammate at Haas: “I know it’s not easy for me or for Ollie, but we’ll get there,” added the Frenchman.

Finally, Esteban Ocon offered an interesting thought on the connection between experience and adaptability: “Paradoxically, with experience it can become even harder. When you come from junior formulas, you adapt more easily, you learn everything from scratch. Lewis has a lot of experience, but he’s been driving very similar cars for many years. I really understand how complicated it is to change after so long.”

Lewis Hamilton will therefore face a completely new challenge, one made not only of raw speed but also of technical and mental adaptation. And if even Ocon, with a car closely related to Ferrari’s, recognizes the difficulty, it means the road to success with the Prancing Horse might be longer than expected.