Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari dream turns sour as persistent car flaw threatens 2025 hopes. Lewis Hamilton is struggling to adapt at Ferrari, with the SF-25 exposing key qualifying weaknesses.

Lewis Hamilton heads into the Miami Grand Prix hoping to recreate the momentum he briefly captured during Formula 1’s previous Sprint weekend in Shanghai. His start to life at Ferrari has lacked consistency, and after a promising flash in China, Hamilton is in dire need of another performance boost to fuel optimism in his Scuderia campaign.

Back in Shanghai, the seven-time world champion secured a surprise Sprint pole and converted it with a commanding drive, pulling out nearly a seven-second gap over the short 19-lap race. Although the victory doesn’t count toward official records, it served as a symbolic high point, suggesting Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari stint was finally taking shape. Yet, only a few weeks later, that result appears more like an exception than the beginning of a turnaround.

The eight points Lewis Hamilton earned that day still make up over a quarter of his total haul so far in 2025. Since then, his finishes have been underwhelming, with seventh, fifth, and another seventh place showing little sign of a breakthrough.

Ferrari may find some renewed performance in Miami by running the SF-25 lower to the ground during the Sprint session, a tactic that worked in Shanghai due to the lower fuel loads. However, in China, that setup approach led to excessive plank wear and a post-race disqualification. This time, the team hopes to avoid the same fate by adjusting the car’s ride height once parc fermé restrictions lift before qualifying. It’s a glimmer of hope for Hamilton, though Sunday’s race will offer the true benchmark.

Underlying Lewis Hamilton’s struggles is a deeper problem within Ferrari’s 2025 campaign — what insiders have described as an “intrinsic” weakness during qualifying. A report by AutoRacer revealed that despite finishing only 14 points behind the 2024 constructors’ title, Ferrari’s single-lap pace continues to be a concern. Last season, they claimed just four pole positions — only half the tally achieved by McLaren and Red Bull — and the latest data shows the new SF-25 hasn’t improved on that front.

Ferrari’s qualifying difficulties stem from their inability to maximise performance on new soft tyres. The team trails McLaren by approximately four-tenths of a second in one-lap pace, and they also lag behind Red Bull and Mercedes. Even Charles Leclerc, who has adapted far better to the current car than Hamilton, has been unable to match the raw pace of the front-runners.

This shortfall becomes even more critical given how difficult it has become to follow and overtake in modern F1 races. Poor grid positions can destroy race prospects — a troubling reality for Hamilton, whose Saturday performances have slipped in recent seasons. Since the beginning of 2024, he has been outqualified by his teammates 23 times in 29 races. Ferrari needed to give him a car capable of hiding that vulnerability, but instead, the SF-25 appears to have highlighted it.

Adding complexity to the situation is Lewis Hamilton’s request for setup changes that diverge from Charles Leclerc’s preferences. Internal data shows Carlos Sainz was within 0.03% of the Monegasque in qualifying last year, while the seven-time Formula 1 world champion is trailing by an average of 0.3% — a notable drop. Although it’s still early to draw final conclusions, the British driver’s himself didn’t sound especially upbeat after leaving Saudi Arabia.

Still, the Brit remains committed. At a recent sponsor event, he reassured fans that he had no intention of giving up, maintaining a fierce work ethic despite mounting challenges. His determination is unquestioned, but Ferrari now finds itself in a difficult balancing act. With Leclerc seemingly closer to the optimal setup, and Hamilton pulling in the opposite direction, the team must carefully weigh development choices — and hope that their high-profile signing doesn’t fall further behind.