Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is starting to feel the pressure at Ferrari. His multi-million dollar move from Mercedes to Maranello was the biggest talking point of the off season. But five races into the 2025 season and it is clear that the 40-year-old is struggling.
The mood of Lewis Hamilton slumped notably throughout the Saudi Arabian weekend. When asked if Hamilton felt comfortable in the car at Jeddah, the 105-time grands’ prix winner answered: “No, not for a second. The car is clearly capable of finishing third as Charles (Leclerc) is on the podium, so I can’t even say it’s the car,” said Hamilton.
HAMILTON FEELING THE PRESSURE
“Obviously I’m not happy with my results, and I know the fans aren’t happy. I’m sure the team isn’t happy either. And I know the bosses aren’t happy. There’s really nothing to take away from these three weeks except that I’m slow. To be honest, the difference with Charles in the data doesn’t seem significant. It’s just that I’m slower in the corners,” explained the Briton.
“I have a week of work coming up, not a week off. After today, I’ll have to cancel some things. However, I think I’ll suffer in Miami, too. I don’t know how long I’ll struggle, but it’s definitely painful. There’s no clear solution at the moment,” Hamilton concluded.
VASSEUR FRUSTRATED
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur has stridently defended Hamilton. But the first signs of frustration emerged at Jeddah late on Sunday. While hailing Leclerc’s first podium of the season, Vasseur said of Hamilton: “It was more difficult for him to be 30-seconds behind Charles. He had a decent second stint, but he’s having too many ups and downs,” Vasseur said.
Former senior Ferrari engineer, Toni Cuquerella, thinks Hamilton is still adapting to an unfamiliar Maranello-built car. “I think it won’t take too much longer for him to adapt. He’s already adapting. This is just the Hamilton we have in F1 now. The same one who left Mercedes with (George) Russell ahead of him,” Cuquerella said. – with GMM
WHAT DOES HAMILTON NEED TO DO TO FIND SOME FORM?
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