Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated debut season with Scuderia Ferrari has unfolded as a profound challenge, with the seven-time world champion openly expressing his frustrations and self-doubt throughout a difficult 2025 campaign.
A Season of Personal and Performance Struggles
The British driver has not shied away from shouldering blame for the team's performance issues, often using starkly self-deprecating language. A low point came after a disappointing qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was eliminated in Q2 while his teammate, Charles Leclerc, secured pole position. A despondent Hamilton stated: "It's me every time. I'm useless, absolutely useless. The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So we probably need to change driver."
Following a tough weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that ended in a Did Not Finish (DNF), Hamilton described the emotional rollercoaster of his year. "It's a nightmare... I've been living it for a while," he confessed. "The flip between the dream of driving for this amazing team and then the nightmare of the results that we've had. We are just really having to fight through those hardships at the moment."
Technical Woes and Strategic Tensions
Hamilton has consistently pointed to fundamental issues with the car's handling and performance. After the Qatar Sprint, he detailed the problems, saying: "We just don't have any stability. So when I say that, it's the rear end is not planted. So it's sliding, snapping a lot. Then we have bouncing. So when you're going into corners... the thing starts bouncing."
The season has also involved an adjustment to a new race engineer, Riccardo Adami, after 11 years with Peter 'Bono' Bonnington at Mercedes. This led to tense radio exchanges over strategy, notably after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Having recovered from last on the grid to score points, Hamilton questioned: "What happened with the strategy, how did I end up in 10th? I thought we were looking good at one point. How did Mercedes that were behind me get all the way up there?"
Looking Ahead: Defence, Commitment, and Hope for 2026
Despite the palpable frustration, Hamilton's eagerness for the season to conclude after Las Vegas was tempered by a clarification. He later explained that in the "heat of frustration," he was actually excited to see what the team builds for 2026. He has also defended his commitment in the face of external criticism.
Responding to Ferrari president John Elkann's reported suggestion that he should "focus on driving and talk less," Hamilton maintained a united front: "We’ve just been focused on doing our job back at the factory, so everyone’s super-focused on improving. I speak to John every week. We have an amazing relationship. The passion has not disappeared from our team."
With his contract running until the end of 2026, speculation about his future persists. However, Hamilton remains bullish about Ferrari's potential. "I truly still believe in this team and what we can achieve together," he asserted. "I just have to keep pushing and keep giving them everything I can." The coming off-season will be crucial in determining whether this dream partnership can overcome its nightmarish start.
