Ferrari now resigned to accepting Lewis Hamilton’s realisation as Scuderia rush through C… read more
Lewis Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari has turned into a story of frustration, misalignment, and underwhelming results. As the 2025 Formula 1 calendar passed the quarter mark, Hamilton’s dream move to Maranello has increasingly resembled a harsh reality check—for both driver and team. Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari have been forced into urgent upgrades, more out of desperation than strategic planning, as they attempt to salvage their rapidly fading title hopes. And within the Scuderia’s walls, there is a growing acceptance that Hamilton’s early-season realisations about the team’s weaknesses were painfully accurate.
When Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes, the move was heralded as the beginning of a new golden era for the legendary team. However, the results have painted a starkly different picture. The seven-time world champion has yet to step on the podium after 10 rounds—a career-worst start—and trails both his teammate Charles Leclerc and several rivals in the drivers’ standings. Ferrari, too, are increasingly looking like they have plateaued, rather than improved, with their car failing to consistently challenge the front-runners.
Inside Ferrari, Hamilton’s blunt and often public assessments of the car’s deficiencies—especially its lack of rear stability, tyre management issues, and unpredictable balance—initially raised eyebrows. Some within the Scuderia saw his criticisms as disruptive or premature. However, after repeated failures to convert strong qualifying performances into meaningful race-day results, many team members are now coming around to his point of view. According to insiders, the Canadian Grand Prix has become a pivotal moment in the season, prompting a rushed development effort that includes a heavily revised floor and new rear wing designed to improve downforce and traction.
These upgrades weren’t originally scheduled for Montreal, but Hamilton’s insistence that the current package is fundamentally flawed has added pressure to speed up the development process. Ferrari’s engineers and strategists have reportedly worked around the clock since the Spanish Grand Prix, where both Hamilton and Leclerc were comprehensively outpaced by Red Bull and McLaren. It was in Barcelona where Hamilton told engineers that the car’s handling “feels like it’s regressing,” rather than improving, in race conditions—a damning verdict from a driver known for his meticulous feedback.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has since publicly acknowledged that expectations were too high coming into 2025 and that Hamilton’s insights have been “valuable, if difficult to hear.” The Canadian Grand Prix is now being viewed internally as a line in the sand: a race where Ferrari must show tangible improvement or risk losing all momentum for the season. Despite the rushed nature of the upgrades, Hamilton is said to be cautiously optimistic that the changes will bring the car more in line with what he needs to fight at the front.
For Hamilton, the emotional strain is visible. He has spoken candidly in recent media appearances about the gap between Ferrari’s promises and reality. At times, his body language has betrayed a sense of disillusionment, but he continues to stress that he remains committed to the long-term project. Still, this isn’t what the British icon envisioned when he swapped the familiarity of Mercedes for the romantic allure of Ferrari. What was meant to be a triumphant final chapter is quickly becoming a test of his patience and leadership.
As the lights go out in Montreal, all eyes will be on Hamilton and whether the rushed upgrades can reverse his fortunes. But behind the scenes, there’s a deeper shift taking place: Ferrari are no longer pushing back against Hamilton’s criticisms—they’re responding to them. Whether that shift is enough to deliver results remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—Hamilton’s realisations have become Ferrari’s reality.
