Lewis Hamilton brings with him an enormous wealth of experience in Formula 1, a level of technical knowledge and racecraft that Ferrari cannot help but find extremely valuable, especially considering the challenges the Italian team has faced in the 2025 season. In essence, this is the profile of the seven-time world champion, a driver whose career has spanned nearly two decades at the very top level of motorsport, who has won titles with multiple teams, and who is regarded as one of the most complete drivers in the history of Formula 1. The current situation is still evolving, and many decisions are pending, but Lewis Hamilton is not holding back on his analysis and his involvement. According to recent reports from the former Mercedes driver himself, a decisive and clear shift is needed on multiple technical and organizational fronts, a topic that has captured the attention of both media and fans over the last few days. His insights go beyond simple observations, offering a roadmap on how Ferrari could address some of the most pressing issues that have hindered their performance.
Ferrari without a clear direction
Formula 1 now enters the week of the United States Grand Prix, the second of the three championship events held in the Americas during the 2025 season. The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, is one of the more challenging tracks on the calendar, where the delicate balance between aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical setup—the aero-mechanical compromise—of the cars is of paramount importance. The circuit features a wide variety of corners, ranging from tight hairpins to high-speed sweepers, demanding versatility from both the car and the driver. Considering this complexity, it is reasonable to anticipate that Ferrari may not be as comfortable as some of its rival teams, which have managed to extract more consistent performance from their cars under varying conditions.
For Ferrari, the 2025 Formula 1 season has long been effectively over in terms of championship contention. It has been a season in which nearly every initial promise and expectation has gone unfulfilled, leaving the team and its management in a state of constant reassessment. Despite this, at least for the time being, tensions within the team, although still high, particularly after the public expressions of frustration from drivers at the Singapore Grand Prix, have not yet led to the adoption of major structural or leadership changes. Frederic Vasseur remains in his position at the helm of Ferrari, though confidence in his leadership has demonstrably waned since the summer break. The situation reflects the broader challenges facing the team, including the management of internal expectations, the alignment of technical development, and the pressure to perform at circuits where the car is less competitive.
Indeed, the circumstances could hardly be different, given that the Italian car, the SF-25, appears to be increasingly problematic across multiple facets. Each race weekend seems to reveal a new problem or limitation that slows the progress of Ferrari’s drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton himself. Moreover, since the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3, it has seemed increasingly difficult for the team to consolidate operations and optimize track work efficiently. Chief among these recurring challenges are the known and persistent issues inherent in the SF-25’s design, which have yet to be fully resolved despite ongoing efforts from the technical staff.
These difficulties include ride heights that often deviate from the specifications set during the original design phase, a chronic lack of rotation in the car which negatively affects tire performance, and a consistent inability to utilize the Pirelli tire compounds correctly. Beyond these technical limitations, inefficiencies in trackside procedures have been highlighted, without hesitation, by Lewis Hamilton, a driver with a wealth of experience and one who understands the importance of every second in the pit lane and on the track. While he is no longer the impulsive, aggressive young driver he was during his early years at McLaren, Lewis Hamilton remains a highly skilled and strategically minded driver, capable of dissecting both the technical and operational aspects of a Formula 1 race weekend with remarkable precision.
Hamilton’s assessments
Lewis Hamilton’s extensive experience in the highest tier of motorsport came sharply into focus during the Saturday qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. Fans and analysts alike will recall his pointed yet constructive critique regarding tire management, highlighting not only the car’s inability to reach the optimal temperature range but also the broader implications for race strategy and consistency. This is not just about the SF-25’s endemic difficulty in activating the tires effectively; it is also about maintaining them in the ideal temperature window and extracting maximum grip over both qualifying laps and the full race distance, which for Formula 1 events is typically around 300 kilometers. Hamilton’s observations underline the importance of a holistic approach to car setup, tire strategy, and track operations.
Lewis Hamilton also emphasized the importance of the work carried out by the team on track. According to him, the group of engineers located at the pit wall, in close coordination with the remote garage in Maranello, along with the wider technical staff responsible for performance analysis and operational organization, is not currently able to rationalize trackside operations in a way that maximizes efficiency. In his assessment, the program of work in place at the circuits is fundamentally flawed, and the lack of cohesion between data analysis, decision-making, and real-time driver feedback is hampering Ferrari’s ability to perform consistently.
When addressing the media, Lewis Hamilton’s comments were direct and unequivocal. While he was not expressing anger, he wanted to bring this critical issue to the attention of the broader Formula 1 community, emphasizing that, once back at the team’s headquarters in Maranello, he would engage directly with the personnel involved in dedicated discussions and meetings to address these operational shortcomings. According to information obtained by our editorial team, this follow-up discussion did in fact take place, demonstrating the Briton’s commitment to the team and his willingness to collaborate on solutions.
The British driver meticulously documented his observations and then outlined his proposed “corrections,” which he insists must be seriously considered and acted upon. In his statements, Lewis Hamilton had already underlined that while data analysis is fundamentally important for understanding how to proceed technically and strategically, feedback from the drivers themselves is equally crucial. These insights, which come from years of experience handling a variety of cars under differing conditions, are, at least in his view, not being fully integrated into the team’s decision-making process, and this omission represents a significant bottleneck to improved performance.
Hamilton has no time to waste
For Lewis Hamilton, this situation represents a kind of standoff, and it is not one on which he is willing to compromise, especially as he looks toward the next competitive campaign. A decisive change of approach is necessary—a clear shift in the team’s working paradigm and philosophy—because the new 2026 technical regulations will leave no room for error. Ferrari is reportedly actively working on this front as well, reviewing both technical procedures and trackside operations, although the morale within the team is far from ideal at present. The need for change is urgent, given that other teams, including Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren, are continuously evolving and improving, leaving Ferrari under pressure to respond effectively.
At 40 years of age, Lewis Hamilton cannot afford to spend another season trying to understand a fundamentally flawed car that does not deliver consistent performance. This does not imply that he has lost faith in Ferrari or the team’s potential. On the contrary, his engagement with the team is highly active, reflecting a commitment to provide guidance and support wherever possible, with the aim of helping the team extract the maximum potential from the SF-25 and its successor. The question that remains, however, is whether Ferrari will be able to analyze and thoughtfully consider the advice and recommendations of Lewis Hamilton, a driver whose record speaks for itself, with multiple world championships, countless race victories, and a reputation for precision, adaptability, and technical acumen.
The weeks leading up to the United States Grand Prix will be crucial for Ferrari as they seek to implement improvements both on track and in the garage. Lewis Hamilton’s insights are more than just observations; they are practical recommendations born from decades of experience racing at the very highest level, which could influence the team’s approach not only for the remainder of the 2025 season but also in preparation for the 2026 regulations. In many ways, this is a defining moment for the Italian team, demonstrating how the input of an experienced driver can intersect with the technical and organizational challenges faced by one of the most storied teams in Formula 1 history.
And you? What do you think about Lewis Hamilton’s insights to improve Ferrari ahead of 2026? Let us know with a comment at the end of the article or on our social media channels: Facebook Group / Facebook Page / Instagram / X (former Twitter) and TikTok.
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