Lewis Hamilton has not had the start to life at Ferrari he, or anyone for that matter, would have expected during the off-season.
The seven-time champion’s move to the Maranello outfit came with huge hype and expectation. Many believed Ferrari would be the fresh start Hamilton needed after a tough end to his spell at Mercedes.
However, it has been a difficult first few months for the 40-year-old. While he has shown some moments of performance in Sprint races, winning in Shanghai and finishing third in Miami, Hamilton has not finished above P5 on Sunday in his SF-25.
| 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 |
The Brit has been struggling to adjust to the car’s setup and characteristics. Team principal Frederic Vasseur says its ‘even more difficult’ for Hamilton to adapt when the team are performing below expectations.
Morale is low at Ferrari as they had arguably the fifth-fastest car in Miami, with Williams showing stronger pace. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is not expected to bring huge improvements, with Ted Kravitz being disappointed by Ferrari’s upgrades brought to the car at Imola.
Despite his woes, Hamilton has told people to judge his Ferrari career when it ends, rather than focus on his challenging first few months. The Brit remains optimistic that he can turn things around, but Johnny Herbert is not convinced.
Johnny Herbert does not think Lewis Hamilton can turn things around at Ferrari in 2025
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former F1 driver was asked if the seven-time world champion could turn things around in 2025. Herbert believes this year will be a ‘struggle’ and had questions as to whether Ferrari can provide a competitive car next season.
“Not this year. This year’s going to be a bit of a struggle,” he said in response to whether Hamilton can improve his form.
Asked if things could change in 2026, Herbert replied: “Well, let’s hope so. Again, it’s not going to be an easy situation just because of the new rules that are coming next year.
“And are they going to be able to harness all the right components to actually make that one, make the chassis work, the aerodynamics, but also make the power unit work at the same time?
“And that’s really going to be the challenge that Ferrari themselves have. But they need to then give Lewis the car that he’s comfortable with.
Can he still achieve a world championship? I still think he can, but of course, you’ve got to have the right equipment underneath you, have the right feel with the car.
“We’ll have to wait and see if that is something that Ferrari can deliver to Lewis, but Charles as well.”
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
What are Ferrari’s prospects in 2026 currently looking like?
The 2026 F1 regulations are set to transform the sport, with a heavy focus on sustainability and electrical power. Ferrari will be hoping it will propel them up the order and into contention to win their first title since 2008.
The Maranello outfit are focusing efforts on their 2025 car simultaneously with the new rules. With their poor start to the season, Ferrari could soon change that approach.
Ferrari are waiting until the Belgian GP to decide whether to shift their focus to 2026. This will delight Hamilton as it gives him more time to improve his fortunes, but next season could be his best chance to be successful.
Marc Priestley says 2026 offers ‘fresh hope’ to Hamilton as the sport moves away from the ground effect era. The 40-year-old has been struggling to extract the most out of the current era of cars.
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