Since his debut with Scuderia Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton’s struggles to fully adapt to his new environment have not gone unnoticed within the Formula 1 paddock. The seven-time world champion’s first season with the Maranello-based team has so far been far from smooth, with the underperformance of the SF-25 chassis on one side, and on the other, the British driver’s own difficulties in adapting to a very different technical and operational framework compared to what he was accustomed to at Mercedes-AMG.
However, for Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, who knows Hamilton’s habits well after racing alongside him for five seasons between 2017 and 2021, adapting to a new team environment is simply part of the job. Speaking candidly, Bottas remarked that “it doesn’t take a genius” to adjust to a new Formula 1 team.
After leaving Mercedes at the end of 2021, Bottas embarked on a similar journey to Hamilton’s, joining what was then Alfa Romeo Racing (now rebranded as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber), a team powered by Ferrari engines. In describing his own transition, Bottas called it “straightforward,” emphasizing that adaptation in Formula 1 is a matter of time and experience.
“Of course, there are things to learn, and things to get used to,” Bottas explained on the Red Flags podcast. “Especially when you have a teammate who is already fully accustomed to everything, they’re going to have the upper hand at the beginning. But as Formula 1 drivers, we always have to adapt.”
He added: “You need to be able to adapt to a new car. Every season you get a new car anyway—engine characteristics evolve, setups change, and so on. So adapting is nothing new in Formula 1. It’s part of the sport, which is constantly evolving. You’re always learning.”
Bottas also acknowledged that he likely has some insight into what Hamilton is currently going through. “For me, personally, the process was quite simple. But it’s important to remember that when I joined Alfa Romeo, the sport had just undergone a major regulation change in 2022, so there were many new elements already.”
Understanding the differences between Mercedes and Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas then spoke about the technical differences between the Mercedes and Ferrari power units—differences that could be contributing to Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation struggles in 2025. “The drivability of the engine is a bit different—how the power comes in, especially at lower revs. But which one is better? That’s hard to say,” the Finnish driver observed.
He went on to explain: “The settings, energy recovery systems, and deployment strategies vary from one team to another. They even use different names for the same things, so learning how to manage those systems is part of the adjustment. The way the car harvests energy under braking, for example, can feel different because of these systems. Even the sound might vary slightly, but it doesn’t make a huge difference overall. That’s all part of it. It really doesn’t take a genius.”
Bottas also downplayed the impact of brake system differences. Mercedes uses braking components supplied by Carbon Industrie, while both Ferrari and Sauber (his current team) use Brembo systems. However, the Finn explained that this change didn’t affect him much. “For me, it didn’t make any real difference,” he said.
“Obviously, Mercedes uses Carbon Industrie, while Sauber and Ferrari rely on Brembo. The only minor difference I noticed was how the brakes warmed up. That was it.”
In short, Bottas’s comments suggest that while switching teams in Formula 1 involves a learning curve, experienced drivers like Lewis Hamilton are expected to adapt quickly, regardless of the challenges. From his point of view, the process is more routine than problematic—even when moving from a dominant force like Mercedes to a different technical culture like Ferrari.
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