Lewis Hamilton’s influence triggers major backstage shift at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton Claims Best Ferrari Result Yet, but Optimism at Maranello Fades Amid SF-25 Struggles

Lewis Hamilton secured his highest finish as a Ferrari driver to date with a fourth-place result at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. However, the atmosphere at Maranello has shifted dramatically compared to the wave of excitement that greeted the Briton’s arrival at the start of the year.

Ferrari officially welcomed the Briton in January after nearly a year of anticipation following his decision to sign a two-year contract. The move, fulfilling a long-held childhood dream for the seven-time world champion, was expected to mark the beginning of a new chapter filled with success. But so far, the underwhelming performance of the SF-25 has prevented Hamilton from achieving the kind of results that both he and the Scuderia had envisioned. His standout moments in red have come predominantly in F1 Sprint races, where he claimed victory in Shanghai from pole and followed it up with a third-place finish in the Miami Sprint. At Imola, he delighted the Tifosi by charging from 12th on the grid to finish fourth in the Grand Prix, showcasing both his skill and determination.

Yet despite such flashes of brilliance, internal confidence at Ferrari appears to be rapidly diminishing. Qualifying woes continue to plague the SF-25, particularly in low-fuel conditions where the car becomes notably unpredictable. This issue once again surfaced at Imola, where Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 for the second time in the opening seven rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, also suffered his first Q2 exit of the year on the same weekend, underscoring the team’s ongoing struggles in single-lap pace.

The race at Ferrari’s home track saw both drivers benefit from a full and a virtual safety car, which helped them climb through the field. However, ahead of the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, it has become apparent that discussions about winning either the 2025 Drivers’ or Constructors’ Championship have fallen silent within the team’s race department.

According to reports from the Italian media, it would now be considered mere speculation for any Ferrari engineer to claim that the team remains in contention for either championship. The gap in the Constructors’ standings paints a bleak picture, with Ferrari trailing McLaren by a staggering 165 points. In the Drivers’ Championship, Leclerc and Hamilton sit fifth and sixth, respectively—far adrift of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who holds a significant points advantage over both.

Even if Ferrari’s 114 points were combined with Red Bull’s current tally of 131, the joint effort would still leave them 34 points behind McLaren and in third place behind Mercedes, who have amassed 147 points. Such numbers emphasize the scale of the challenge facing the Scuderia just seven races into the season.

Despite the dire outlook, Ferrari has not completely abandoned its ambitions for 2025. The team is continuing development work on the SF-25 and plans to introduce upgrades at the British Grand Prix. Among the most anticipated changes is a rear suspension update aimed at improving the car’s drivability and consistency. Furthermore, in a move designed to reduce development costs while enhancing rear downforce, Ferrari will reintroduce the rear wing that Leclerc used to win the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix for this year’s race in the Principality.

These updates signal that Ferrari is still fighting, even as internal belief in a championship charge appears to have faded. The contrast is stark compared to the optimism voiced during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Team principal Fred Vasseur had spoken confidently at the time, stating that Ferrari had the potential to challenge for both world titles in 2025. He attributed that ambition to the strength of the driver pairing and the positive mood within the team following a runner-up finish in the 2024 Constructors’ standings, just 14 points shy of McLaren.

While the team has not explicitly shifted its focus to the 2026 regulations, the tone in Maranello now reflects realism rather than hope. The lack of podium finishes—aside from Charles Leclerc’s third place in Saudi Arabia—has tempered expectations and shifted priorities toward salvaging the season through incremental gains.

The journey for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari may still hold moments of brilliance, but for now, the dream of title glory remains distant as the Scuderia continues to grapple with the limitations of the SF-25.