Ferrari entered the 2025 System 1 season with excessive expectations, aiming to mount a critical bid for each the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Their robust end to the earlier yr had positioned them as real contenders, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc pushing Lando Norris exhausting proper up till the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Whereas McLaren clinched the Constructors’ crown, Ferrari fell quick by simply 14 factors—fueling optimism that the arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton would tip the stability of their favor this season.
Though Charles Leclerc voiced early issues in regards to the course of Ferrari’s automotive growth throughout pre-season, there was nonetheless confidence inside the paddock that the crew may, on the very least, battle McLaren to be the most effective of the remainder. Nevertheless, that narrative has shortly unraveled. Other than Hamilton’s victory within the Chinese language Dash Race, the crew has struggled to supply constant outcomes, calling into query the affect of their high-profile signing and the trajectory of the SF-25’s growth.
Amongst these tempering expectations is Luca di Montezemolo—a reputation synonymous with Ferrari’s golden eras. As a former crew principal who led the Scuderia to a number of titles throughout the Nineteen Seventies, together with Niki Lauda’s championship triumphs, Luca di Montezemolo’s opinions nonetheless carry appreciable weight. On the time of Hamilton’s signing, he had publicly welcomed the transfer, describing it as daring and probably transformative. He had advised Italian information company ANSA that Hamilton’s arrival couldn’t solely enhance Ferrari’s competitiveness but additionally restore some much-needed glamour and highlight to the crew. He had additionally anticipated that the inner battle between Hamilton, chasing a historic eighth title, and Leclerc, hungry for his first, would energize the crew—supplied the automotive was as much as the duty.
However his perspective shifted dramatically following his go to to the Bahrain Grand Prix. Talking with Swiss outlet Blick, the previous Ferrari president expressed deep skepticism about Hamilton’s prospects at Ferrari. He now believes the British driver is unlikely to appreciate his long-held dream of securing a world title with the Scuderia. Montezemolo attributed the crew’s persistent shortcomings to not particular person drivers, however to what he sees as an erosion of identification and management inside the group. He remarked that the Ferrari of previous—a crew outlined by ardour, relentless work ethic, and unity—has given approach to a bunch that seems to be chasing victory and not using a clear technique or soul.
The Italian businessman additionally questioned the broader choices made by Ferrari administration, significantly highlighting the puzzling state of affairs involving rising Italian star Kimi Antonelli. Luca di Montezemolo identified that it appeared unfathomable to many Italians that Antonelli, a expertise with robust nationwide ties, had been picked up by Mercedes as a substitute of Ferrari.
In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton continues to adapt to life in purple. His fifth-place end in Bahrain was his greatest Grand Prix consequence up to now with the crew. Though he ended the race eight seconds behind Charles Leclerc, the efficiency was commendable provided that Hamilton had began seven locations additional down the grid. The trouble recommended that progress is being made, albeit incrementally.
F1 pundit Martin Brundle has recommended that Lewis Hamilton’s early-season struggles are tied to acclimating to Ferrari’s distinctive methods and elements. The transition has not been trivial: for the primary time in over a decade, the Briton is utilizing a special braking system—one thing that impacts his trademark precision below braking, a ability honed over years at McLaren and Mercedes.
Including to the scrutiny, David Coulthard famous that Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying kind stays a priority. The veteran driver has discovered it troublesome to extract most efficiency over one lap—a weak spot that grew to become evident final season when George Russell outqualified him as a rule. Regardless of these challenges, Lewis Hamilton stays undeterred. He has constructed his profession round silencing doubters and turning adversity into gas. At the same time as figures like the previous Ferrari president revise their stance, the British driver is concentrated on pushing by Ferrari’s present limitations and laying the groundwork for long-term success with the crew.
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