Lewis Hamilton ‘Miserable’ After Ferrari Communication B…read more
Lewis Hamilton described his driving experience at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix as “miserable,” following a frustrating weekend marked by poor communication with his Ferrari team. The seven-time world champion struggled to find any joy behind the wheel of the SF-25, despite recovering from a three-place grid penalty to finish fifth in Sunday’s race. Although Hamilton managed to move forward from seventh, he found himself unable to challenge the front-runners and ended the race nearly 50 seconds adrift of his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, who secured an impressive second place.
One of the most telling moments of the weekend came after the checkered flag, when Hamilton radioed his race engineer Riccardo Adami with the question, “Are you angry with me?” The query was met with silence, a moment that highlighted the strained and unclear communication between the pair. This wasn’t the first time this season that communication issues have surfaced. Throughout their working relationship, which began at the start of 2025, Hamilton and Adami have seemed out of sync, with evident growing pains continuing into the eighth round of the championship.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton revealed he did not understand a key message given to him during the Grand Prix. Adami had instructed him to “pick up the pace,” but Hamilton admitted he wasn’t clear on what he was being asked to do, or what position he was fighting for. “The information wasn’t exactly that clear. I didn’t understand ‘this is our race.’ I didn’t know what I was fighting for. Am I fighting for the next spot ahead, or…?” Hamilton said, reflecting on the confusion. “When I look at the data, I was nowhere near any of the guys up front. I used up my tyres a lot in that moment but I was so far away from them.”
Hamilton’s frustration with the race and the car’s performance was evident in his post-race demeanor. “It was miserable,” he said. “Unless you’re in the lead, even when you’re in the lead it’s not that fun, just a nice reward at the end. Other than that, anything but first is kind of empty.” The remark reflects his growing dissatisfaction with the challenges he’s facing at Ferrari, particularly in adapting to the car and syncing with the team’s strategies and communications.
The result was a sharp contrast to Hamilton’s performance at the previous round in Imola, where he achieved his best result in red so far — finishing fourth, just over a second shy of a podium. That performance brought visible optimism and hope that he and Ferrari were beginning to find their rhythm. However, Monaco proved that any progress remains fragile. The tight, twisty street circuit exposed the SF-25’s shortcomings, particularly in terms of pace and tyre management.
After eight races with Ferrari, Hamilton sits sixth in the drivers’ standings with 63 points — well off the pace of the title contenders. Ferrari had hoped that bringing in one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history would reignite their championship aspirations, but the early stages of the season have shown just how steep the road ahead remains. The last time Ferrari won a championship was in 2008, and despite Hamilton’s star power, it’s clear that internal issues, including communication, car setup, and race strategy, are hindering the team’s progress.
As the F1 calendar moves forward, Hamilton and Ferrari will need to urgently address their internal coordination issues if they are to challenge the top teams. The legendary Brit may have expected a smoother start to his Ferrari chapter, but it’s become clear that rebuilding the Scuderia’s competitive edge is going to require more than just a legendary name behind the wheel.
