Lewis Hamilton is looking for a turning point in his first season with Ferrari. Nobody, on the eve of the 2025 Formula 1 championship, could have imagined that the first months in red for the seven-time world champion would be so troubled. The former Mercedes driver is suffering from the lack of competitiveness of the SF-25, unable to find a compromise to push the car to its limits. A slump very similar to the one experienced at Brackley before the Silverstone victory last year.
On that occasion, Lewis Hamilton admitted he had started doubting his own speed. Much like a football striker who has not scored in a long time. More than in other sports, in Formula 1 the emotional component plays a fundamental role in a driver’s performance. Often, those who are confident manage to drive beyond the problems of their cars, as Charles Leclerc has shown.
Without pretending to get inside the mind of the Anglo-Caribbean driver, it is quite evident that Lewis Hamilton’s current campaign is heavily affected by the issues afflicting the project 677. A Ferrari SF-25 single-seater that simply does not suit the Englishman’s driving style. It is hard to put aside the goal declared at the start of the championship, even more so for the British driver who dreamed of glory.
In a way, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion feels betrayed. Yes, because after a sea of promises, in reality, the Prancing Horse has failed to deliver the level of competitiveness that convinced the 40-year-old to leave Mercedes after twelve long seasons. A long-term project was not what the Briton had in mind. He would not have accepted such a scenario.
The Ferrari-Lewis Hamilton pairing, according to the parties involved, was supposed to be a winning partnership already in the 2025 Formula 1 championship. The reasons are partly due to age, with the Englishman in the final phase of his career. In the medium term, the sporting project of the historic Italian team will be built around Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has proven he has everything needed to aspire to the world championship.
If for a 27-year-old driver postponing dreams of glory can be painfully accepted, for a man who has passed forty it is a major problem. For this reason, Lewis Hamilton needs to be recovered first and foremost in spirit. During the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, we saw firsthand how downhearted he was. The men from Maranello must provide him with a car that makes him feel comfortable.
They must do this regardless of the stakes. Right now, it is not important to have a car that allows him to win a few races, but to have a car that meets his needs. One that makes him feel alive and fighting for something. He may never admit it, but just like in 2024, Lewis Hamilton has a strong need to show himself that his speed remains intact.
A decisive premise, necessary to approach the next Formula 1 season with the mindset of someone who knows they can meet the set goal. Other scenarios are neither acceptable nor conceivable. Joining the Maranello team cannot be limited to just driving a Red car, settling for ending his career in anonymity. That would be a dark chapter for the Brit.
The next round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship could be the ideal place to change pace. The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal is a special place for the seven-time world champion. Here he won his first career Grand Prix, starting an epic and unexpected internal battle with Fernando Alonso, in a truly crazy season that ended with Kimi Raikkonen winning the drivers’ title.
The 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal is a track that Lewis Hamilton particularly loves, where besides numerous victories, he has always been competitive even with the Mercedes ground-effect cars. Certainly one of the best interpreters of the circuit named after Gilles Villeneuve among the current drivers. The Brit hopes to feel comfortable again with his car, to shake off this layer of rust that is making him look rougher than usual.
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