Lewis Hamilton is stuck in seventh place in the Formula 1 world championship. The Ferrari driver has occupied that position since the chequered flag at the Bahrain GP.
That’s exactly where he finished in 2024, a dispiriting statistic given the hype around his winter move. Gary Anderson says Mercedes are better off without Hamilton, and the current standings lend some weight to his argument.
The Silver Arrows have made their best start to a season in the ground-effect era, picking up 141 points across the first six rounds. That makes them the nearest challengers to a dominant McLaren.
George Russell is fourth in the drivers’, six points behind reigning champion Max Verstappen. Kimi Antonelli remains ahead of Hamilton in sixth.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
131 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
115 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
99 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
93 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
53 |
| 6 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
48 |
| 7 |
Lewis Hamilton |
41 |
| 8 |
Alexander Albon |
30 |
| 9 |
Esteban Ocon |
14 |
| 10 |
Lance Stroll |
14 |
Every time Hamilton seems to make a breakthrough, there’s a swift reality check. His Sprint win in China was followed by a disqualification the very next day, and his podium in the 100km race in Miami preceded a Q2 exit.
Lewis Hamilton will be hurt by Kimi Antonelli fanfare, Bernie Collins says
While Ferrari still have just one podium to their name this season, Russell scored Mercedes’ fourth in six rounds in Miami. But Antonelli made even bigger headlines by taking Sprint pole on Friday evening.
Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in any format in F1 history. While a first-corner run-in with Oscar Piastri cost him places and he later collided with Max Verstappen in the pit lane, this was still the moment he announced himself as a future superstar.
A classy Hamilton congratulated Antonelli on his ‘amazing’ lap. But speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, Bernie Collins suggested that he was ‘hurt’ deep down.
Hamilton is even struggling to beat Carlos Sainz, the driver he replaced at Ferrari. Midfield outfit Williams have occasionally shown the pace to disrupt the top teams.
“There were some comments from Lewis over the weekend about how good it was to see Kimi Antonelli on the Sprint pole,” Collins said.
“That’s got to hurt, hasn’t it? That’s like seeing your ex having a much better new other half. As much as Lewis is saying all the right things, a little bit inside of you has got to feel that in Sprint qualifying.”
Ted Kravitz draws telling Michael Schumacher comparison after Lewis Hamilton outburst at Ferrari
Hamilton continues to work tirelessly to find a solution for his Ferrari woes. It’s clear that the car is fundamentally limited.
Prior to the Miami GP, Hamilton engaged Fred Vasseur in a conversation about the tyres. His focus hasn’t wavered.
Indeed, Verstappen commended Hamilton for arriving at the circuit early. He’s trying to soak up as much information as he possibly can.
But the frustration has started to creep in too. Ted Kravitz says Michael Schumacher never criticised Ferrari in the way Hamilton did during the race, when he sarcastically berated their indecision over the radio.
