By Joe Man
Hamilton’s Frosty Ferrari Relationship
Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari in early 2024 shocked the Formula 1 world. It was hailed as a historic partnership—two of the sport’s most iconic names joining forces in pursuit of a common goal: to deliver Ferrari its first world championship since 2007 and to help Hamilton secure a record-breaking eighth title.
But just nine races into the 2025 season, that dream is quickly turning into a nightmare.
By the end of his Mercedes stint, Hamilton appeared to be a shadow of his former self, lacking confidence both in his car and in his own abilities. His qualifying struggles against teammate George Russell were a recurring issue, often leaving him too much work to do on race day despite decent race pace.
Now at Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc as his new teammate, the story remains the same, if not worse. Hamilton is currently trailing Leclerc 7–2 in qualifying, and while Leclerc is widely considered one of the best one-lap drivers on the grid, we’re talking about Lewis Hamilton—the greatest of all time. Even more troubling are the inexplicably poor race performances, where Hamilton’s pace is at times so sluggish that Ferrari is left with no choice but to ask him to move aside for Leclerc. That’s got to be demoralising and only feeds the spiral of self-doubt.
Add to this the deteriorating relationship with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Their communication has been tense, often strained. Hamilton is notoriously intense over the radio, and Adami doesn’t appear to be the kind of figure who can steady the ship. There’s no chemistry between the two, and it’s hard to see this partnership lasting the season.
Is there any hope?
Realistically, Ferrari’s 2025 campaign already looks dead in the water. Their best bet might be to shift focus entirely to the upcoming 2026 regulation changes. Hamilton, like Daniel Ricciardo before him, has never quite adapted to this generation of cars. The hope is that the next iteration will better suit his driving style and reignite the fire that once defined him.
Because right now, Hamilton looks lost. His post-race interviews are tough to watch—he comes off as downbeat, disengaged, and at times, arrogantly dismissive. His body language and tone scream disillusionment. This is a man who once demanded excellence and precision from every aspect of his racing operation—now met with Ferrari’s classic chaos: confusing team orders, cryptic code phrases, and head-scratching strategies.
Hamilton had a front-row seat to Ferrari’s dysfunction in the Vettel era. He knew what he was signing up for. So why did he go through with it? Was it the lure of the red car, the legacy, the romanticism of winning with Ferrari? If so, that dream may have blinded him to the very real warning signs.
Team principal Fred Vasseur now faces a critical challenge: get Hamilton back on track or risk the whole operation crumbling. Hamilton’s current demeanor, publicly questioning his own ability and throwing shade at the team is not just damaging to morale; it’s toxic. And let’s not forget: Ferrari let Carlos Sainz go to make room for this. That decision is beginning to look like a major miscalculation.
Maybe 2026 brings a reset. Maybe Hamilton has one last charge left in him. But right now, it feels like the end is near. If three races into 2026 Hamilton and Ferrari are still off the pace, it could be all over.
The dream is fading… fast.
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