P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari was a box-office move for him, the team, and F1. But the reality has turned out to be very different to the vision – due to one big underestimation
Ferrari has acknowledged that they underestimated the challenge Lewis Hamilton would face when he joined their Formula 1 team after his long stint with Mercedes. Despite high expectations following Hamilton’s move in 2025, results have fallen short, with no podium finishes in grand prix races and a best qualifying result of fourth.
Hamilton expressed frustration after the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he failed to make it past Q2 while his teammate secured pole position. Despite these struggles, Ferrari is not considering replacing Hamilton and is focused on improving areas where he is less comfortable.
Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, admitted that both he and Hamilton underestimated the difficulty of changing teams after spending so many years with Mercedes. Vasseur highlighted the cultural differences between Ferrari and Mercedes that may have hindered Hamilton’s adaptation process.
Vasseur explained that Carlos Sainz’s experience with multiple team changes contrasted with Hamilton’s lack of frequent moves, impacting the adaptation period for the seven-time champion. Despite facing challenges, Ferrari has noted signs of improvement in Hamilton’s performance leading up to recent difficult weekends.
