P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton failed to secure a single Grand Prix podium across his first campaign with Ferrari last season.
Former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski has described Lewis Hamilton’s maiden season with Ferrari as “painful to watch,” particularly following his late-season qualifying shockers. The start of 2025 was dominated by Hamilton’s blockbuster move to the Scuderia, with the first images of the 41-year-old in Ferrari red going viral. Despite expectations of a slow start, the seven-time world champion secured a surprise Sprint pole and Sprint victory in China — a result that arguably heightened expectations. While Hamilton managed the occasional fourth-place finish in Grands Prix, his season spiralled as it progressed, culminating in three consecutive Q1 exits in the final rounds of the year. Team-mate Charles Leclerc extracted several podium finishes from a difficult SF-25, increasing the points deficit between the Ferrari duo. Qualifying proved to be Hamilton’s biggest weakness, despite him holding more pole positions than any driver in Formula 1 history. Overall, Hamilton’s struggles have heightened the pressure on Ferrari to master the new power unit regulations this year, in order to ensure Hamilton can bounce back.
