Lewis Hamilton’s grandiose move to Ferrari raised high expectations, with fans believing the seven-time champion could bring back Ferrari’s glory days. But the dream is not unfolding as expected.
Hamilton dazzled with an impressive Sprint win in China, yet inconsistency and unpredictability have defined his Ferrari season since.
The discourse is divided: some argue the issue lies with the car, others point to the driver-car relationship, while the skeptics debate whether Hamilton should still be racing at all. Yet whatever the viewpoint, the reality is that the seven-time World Champion might be facing a formidable learning curve.
Lewis Hamilton faces challenges in his Ferrari debut season
Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari after spending more than a decade as a Mercedes driver. Before that, the World Champion was racing for McLaren – another British outfit, powered by a Mercedes engine. In many ways, Hamilton was only ever acquainted with Mercedes’ philosophy of driving.
Moving to Ferrari meant that Hamilton had to adapt to a new culture, a different power unit, braking system, and the unique characteristics of Ferrari’s SF-25.
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Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, spoke to Auto Motor und Sport and confirmed that the change in environment has been a steeper challenge because of the difference in teams:
“Looking back, I have to admit that — and by that I mean Lewis and myself — we underestimated the change of environment.”
“[Mercedes] was an English team, and the engine environment was always the same. The difference between Ferrari and Mercedes is greater than between Mercedes and McLaren. When Lewis arrived at Ferrari, we naively thought he would have everything under control.”
The Frenchman continues, “Lewis needed four to five races to get the situation under control. Since the Canadian GP, he’s basically been on track.”
If the Briton is indeed fully attuned to the intricacies of the car, the results do not back it up. Hamilton has yet to step on the podium for the Prancing Horse this season. His recent showings in Belgium and Hungary saw him struggling to make it through the Qualification rounds. It raises the question: what else could be at play?
Circumstances should be another factor to consider
The Italian outfit has not been the luckiest team on the grid this season, and Lewis Hamilton has certainly felt the brunt of it. After the dual disqualification in China, both drivers have faced a series of setbacks spanning the course of the season.
When compared to his teammate, Charles Leclerc, however, it appears that Lewis Hamilton is on the back foot. The Monegasque is leading the British driver in the Driver Championship standings with five podiums to show for it.
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Vasseur emphasizes that the difference might not be as abysmal as it seems:
“Often it’s down to circumstances, and lately Lewis has more often been on the unlucky side. In Budapest, he was ahead of Charles in Q1 and in Q2 was only a tenth slower. He missed out by 15 thousandths.”
As it stands, the numbers show the truth, but they don’t tell the full story. With the summer break coming to an end, Hamilton and Ferrari will be able to show whether the rocky start was simply a part of the adaptation process or if there are any deeper struggles yet to be solved. Only time will tell if Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari journey will bear the fruits both he and the team desire – for 2025 and beyond.
