Why Lewis Hamilton is struggling with SF-25 – and what a former Ferrari engineer thinks will fix it. Rob Smedley reveals why Lewis Hamilton is struggling with the Ferrari SF-25.

Lewis Hamilton is not experiencing the start to the season he expected with Ferrari. After six Grands Prix, the seven-time world champion sits only seventh in the drivers’ standings with 41 points, well behind his teammate Charles Leclerc. Trying to explain the reasons behind Lewis Hamilton’s and Ferrari’s struggles was Rob Smedley, former Ferrari engineer from 2004 to 2013.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Smedley pointed out that the main cause may lie in the SF-25’s lack of rear-end stability, a characteristic that doesn’t suit Lewis Hamilton’s driving style.

“The car isn’t easy to drive. It doesn’t suit Lewis’s driving style. Charles is able to tame it better over one lap. Lewis, on the other hand, has always needed a stable rear end to rely on, especially through high-speed corners. If the car is a bit nervous at the rear, he struggles to get the most out of it.”

Why Lewis Hamilton is struggling with Ferrari and what the solution is
Since the beginning of the 2025 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly complained about a lack of feeling with the car. To him, the car feels unstable and unpredictable on corner entry—a factor that undermines his confidence and, in turn, his performance.

Smedley went on to stress that there’s no single fix to the issue: “There won’t be a magic solution. We’re talking about tiny margins. They’ll have to work on multiple aspects at once. It’ll take a series of small improvements to get out of this phase.”

According to the former British engineer, just two or three tenths per lap could be enough to give Ferrari a tangible step forward in both qualifying and race conditions. A seemingly modest goal, but one that, in an increasingly tight Formula 1 field, could make the difference between a podium and a midfield finish.

For Lewis Hamilton, every step toward a more stable and predictable SF-25 would not only offer a technical benefit but also a huge morale boost after weeks of frustration. Ferrari, for its part, knows that regaining competitiveness also involves making the car better suited to its drivers’ styles. And for a champion like Lewis, every effort is worth it.