Why Martin Brundle thinks Lewis Hamilton lacks the Red Bull advantage that Max Verstappen possesses. Brundle says Lewis Hamilton is missing the edge that makes Max Verstappen dominant at Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton has wrapped up his debut season with Ferrari, and by all accounts, it has been one of the most challenging campaigns of his career. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion went through the entire season without standing on a Grand Prix podium for the first time, while his teammate Charles Leclerc secured seven podium finishes and ended the year significantly ahead in the standings. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, just six points shy of equalling his previous lowest championship finish, highlighting the gap between expectation and reality.

Despite a promising start, including a sprint race victory in China, the season quickly went off-track. Hamilton struggled to adapt to the Ferrari SF-25, the team’s operational dynamics, and a series of underwhelming upgrades, which left him consistently off the pace. His qualifying performance suffered in particular, with three Q1 exits in the final races, including lining up 16th in Abu Dhabi. After qualifying, Hamilton openly acknowledged his disappointing performance, apologizing to Ferrari and reflecting the overall frustration of the 2025 season.

Martin Brundle highlights Hamilton’s struggle with Ferrari race engineer

Transitioning from Mercedes to Ferrari has proven far from straightforward. While Lewis Hamilton brought key support staff such as Jerome D’Ambrosio and Loic Serra to Maranello, his longtime race engineer Peter Bonnington, known as ‘Bono,’ did not make the move. At Mercedes, the Briton and Bonnington formed a championship-winning partnership, delivering six titles, but that same synergy has not materialized with Riccardo Adami at Ferrari. The pair have clashed multiple times over team radio throughout the 2025 season.

Speaking on Sky Sports F1 on December 7, 2025, Martin Brundle noted that Hamilton has “terribly” missed having a race engineer who fully understands his style and preferences. Brundle compared the situation to Max Verstappen’s partnership with Gianpiero Lambiase at the Austrian side, emphasizing how that strong driver-engineer bond helps a driver maximize performance. Martin Brundle explained that Gianpiero Lambiase knows every nuance of Verstappen’s approach, translating instructions seamlessly and allowing the Dutchman to deliver consistently on strategy.

Martin Brundle argued that Lewis Hamilton’s challenges at Ferrari stem partly from the lack of such a relationship, stating that understanding the subtle nuances, preferences, and communication style between driver and engineer is critical in Formula 1. The absence of this connection has made it harder for Hamilton to extract maximum performance from the car during crucial sessions and races.

Increased pressure on Lewis Hamilton for 2026

Looking forward, Lewis Hamilton will face heightened expectations at Ferrari in 2026. Damon Hill questioned whether Lewis Hamilton has “lost his edge” after another disappointing showing in Abu Dhabi, where he struggled in qualifying before climbing to P8 in the race. These results fall far short of what Ferrari, the Briton himself, and Tifosi supporters had hoped for. While Charles Leclerc continues to show strong form, Hamilton must adapt to remain competitive.

Ground-effect cars have historically been challenging for Lewis Hamilton, and he has won only three races in the current era with such machinery. The 2026 regulations will introduce significant technical changes, potentially providing Hamilton with a platform better suited to his driving style. However, the stakes are high: his Ferrari contract expires in 2026, and former world champion Nico Rosberg warned that the Italian public may quickly turn on Hamilton if his performance does not improve. For the seven-time world champion, next season will be critical to maintaining his status at Ferrari and in Formula 1.