“It’s a nightmare, I’ve been dwelling it for some time”, was Lewis Hamilton’s frank abstract of the 2025 Components 1 season, for it was the 12 months he arguably carried out at his worst. The seven-time world champion completed sixth within the standings, 86 factors behind Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and, for the primary time since becoming a member of F1 in 2007, he failed to attain a Sunday podium throughout an entire marketing campaign.
That definitely wasn’t how the 40-year-old envisaged the season going, his first in Scuderia colors, notably as a result of it truly began off comparatively nicely. As soon as everyone had acquired over the thrill of his blockbuster transfer from Mercedes and he acquired right down to enterprise, Hamilton was fast out of the blocks – scoring a dash win from pole at spherical two in Shanghai.
The Briton spoke about how he was “actually feeling” the SF-25 that weekend and that his victory considerably silenced the critics, who had solely gotten louder and louder since his struggles started firstly of the ground-effect period in 2022.
Nevertheless it proved to be an anomaly; the 2025 Ferrari lacked common tempo and its drivers struggled for consistency as a whole suspension change backfired. That’s not even mentioning the variation course of for Hamilton, who opted for an entire life change following 12 record-breaking seasons on the Silver Arrows.
“I got here in with a extremely open thoughts,” he stated in Might. “I didn’t understand how robust it was going to be. I knew it was going to be difficult. It’s as difficult because it might ever be on all fronts.”
So, with Hamilton needing time to regulate, it’s no shock that Leclerc had a quantity over his stablemate contemplating the 28-year-old has been on the staff since 2019 and a part of the broader Ferrari household since 2016. The Monegasque was thus capable of maximise what he had, whereas Hamilton simply saved encountering one hurdle after one other. It additionally didn’t assist that Ferrari stopped all automobile growth halfway via 2025 to arrange for F1’s impending rule change subsequent 12 months.
Shanghai dash win a uncommon spotlight for Hamilton this 12 months
Photograph by: Bryn Lennon – Components 1
The Briton subsequently needed to put up with what he was given – a automobile constructed with none of his enter – and he was principally caught combating within the midfield. Hamilton’s type in late spring/early summer season was alright, fourth in Austria and Silverstone plus third within the Miami dash, however every thing simply acquired worse from August onwards.
There was the crash at Zandvoort, the failure to execute a staff order in Baku, and he grew to become the primary full-time Ferrari F1 driver to undergo three, consecutive Q1 eliminations from Las Vegas to the Abu Dhabi finale. And all through these late struggles, it was clear Hamilton simply needed the marketing campaign to be over by way of his more and more downbeat media classes – ones the place he’d give no various phrases per response.
Such negativity even irked Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who was instrumental in bringing Hamilton to the Italian outfit. It was a transfer that was years within the making and one Ferrari can not actually afford to be unsuccessful, given it has been 17 years since its final F1 title.
However 2026 brings recent hope, a brand new regulation cycle and a Ferrari automobile that really concerned Hamilton within the constructing course of. And with Hamilton certainly now extra settled on the staff, subsequent 12 months he needs to be on the tempo in any other case questions on his F1 future will return…
Learn Additionally:
We wish your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Crew
