Hamilton facing the Ferrari challenge: « I’m working hard to adapt »

Two days before the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton does not hide his difficulties adapting since his arrival at Ferrari. Despite the excitement surrounding his historic transfer, the seven-time world champion is facing a more complicated transition period than expected, having not yet managed to reach a podium this season.

A transition reminiscent of his early days at Mercedes

Hamilton draws a direct parallel with his previous experience: “When I joined Mercedes, the first six months were difficult, as I took time to get used to working with new people. Obviously, the engineers I work with now were used to setting up the car for another driver, with a different driving style, and I was used to a car tailored to another style, so it’s simply a combination of several things,” he explains.

Asked about the possible duration of this adaptation phase, Hamilton remains cautious and realistic: “I really don’t know. We are working as hard as possible to shorten this period, but it could be longer, who knows,” he admits.

Sprint vs race: an unresolved mystery

The difference is striking between his recent victory in the Sprint in China and his more modest performances in main races (5th in Bahrain, 7th in Jeddah and Japan). Hamilton tries to explain this inconsistency: « I can’t really explain it in detail. In a Sprint race, obviously, you can’t make a lot of changes; I think what we should take from it is that we didn’t make many adjustments between FP1 and qualifying, whereas on other weekends, we tinkered with the car and made it worse! »

He suggests that the numerous adjustments made to the car during regular weekends could have the effect of deteriorating performance instead of improving it.

The break after the initial triple header of the season allowed the British driver to spend time at the Ferrari factory to analyze his challenges in depth: “I had a great time in Italy. We worked a lot, had good sessions on the simulator. There are things we’ve adjusted. We’ll see how it goes this weekend,” the British driver confides. And although no major technical updates are planned for Miami, this visit to Maranello will undoubtedly help the Briton to continue better understanding his SF-25.

Leclerc as a reference

For this sixth weekend with Ferrari, Hamilton has set a specific goal: to reach the level shown by his teammate Charles Leclerc at the last Grand Prix. Without any technical upgrades, he remains measured in his expectations: « We’ll do our best. We don’t have improvements or anything this weekend, but we keep trying to optimize the car. Obviously, Charles did a great job in the last race [with a 3rd place] and showed what the car is capable of in the race, so the goal is to try to replicate that. » Indeed, Leclerc’s third place in Jeddah represents the real potential of the Ferrari, a pace he has not yet managed to replicate in the race.

Hamilton also took the opportunity to respond to comments about his performance and future in F1, displaying remarkable calmness: “I forget that right away, I don’t even think about it. I try not to focus on opinions from people who have no idea what’s really going on, opinions from people who have never been in my position. So yes, I keep my head down and simply continue to enjoy the work I’m doing with the people I work with.”

Indeed, many voices, including that of Johnny Herbert, have recently expressed opinions on his future, suggesting that 2026 would be his last chance to secure a title. But the British driver seems determined to stay focused on his goal, without being disturbed by these outside predictions.

A historical parallel that gives hope

The current situation strongly evokes 2013, when Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes. At the time, few imagined that this difficult adaptation period would precede six world titles between 2014 and 2021. “I’m really working hard to adapt to it, that’s for sure,” confirms Hamilton about the Ferrari SF-25.

If history can serve as an indicator, patience might be the key for Hamilton and his supporters. It remains to be seen whether, at 40 years old, the Briton will have the time needed to replicate at Ferrari the more or less similar success he experienced at Mercedes.

The Miami Grand Prix this weekend will offer new insights into the evolution of this adaptation, in a context where Ferrari, without new technical developments, will need to optimize its current package to deliver a strong performance on the Floridian circuit.