A particular characteristic of Lewis Hamilton’s driving style may not be compatible with the Ferrari SF-25, which could be a “killer trait”.

That’s the claim of F1 pundit and analyst Alex Brundle, a racing driver and son of Sky F1 commentator and former F1 driver Martin, who has analysed the data of Hamilton’s driving over recent weekends.

Alex Brundle spots Lewis Hamilton problem in his data

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion made headlines this season with his blockbuster switch from Mercedes to Ferrari – one of the most significant, and lucrative, moves in the sport’s history.

However, that move has yet to yield the kind of performances that would suggest an eighth world title is on the horizon, with only one notable highlight so far by way of victory in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint event.

Alex Brundle, analysing Hamilton’s driving data, identified a trait that may not suit the characteristics of the Ferrari SF-25, contributing to Hamilton’s travails.

“He has talked about moving the car towards him. And he’s talked about moving himself towards the car,” Brundle said on the F1 Nation podcast.

“I look at the data from Lewis every weekend. The trait is the same.

“He goes into high-speed corners and hits a little bit more brake pressure than Charles Leclerc.

“You can draw a line directly up the wheel-speed graph, to the steering trace, and the brake aligns perfectly with a tiny bit of movement. It just upsets the Ferrari everywhere.

“Leclerc is just Mr. Measured on the brakes.

“We know that Lewis had a problem with the same thing, I saw the data, at Mercedes.

“Can he coach himself out of a lifetime’s worth of driving technique to move towards the car? We will find out.”

Hamilton, who took Carlos Sainz’s seat at Ferrari, may still be struggling and has spoken openly about needing a “brain transplant” to adjust to the Ferrari, while the Spaniard has also admitted to struggling with an immediate adjustment to life at Williams – an adjustment he now seems to have made after finishing eighth in Saudi Arabia.

“Look at Carlos Sainz at Williams,” Brundle said.

“He has completely engaged with their way of doing. Lewis is still behind the game at Ferrari so you wonder if it is going to be possible.”

Hamilton’s struggles have been compounded by the nature of today’s ultra-fast F1 cars. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that modern cars require instinctive driving, leaving little time for conscious adjustment or correction.

That reality presents an added challenge for Hamilton as he tries to adapt.

“It’s a killer trait to have in a car, especially if you’re behind,” Brundle noted.

“Because you look for the time, and it punishes you again. It gets worse and worse.”

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So far in 2025, Hamilton has yet to finish ahead of his teammate Leclerc in any of the five Grand Prix events, and his demeanour has become increasingly downbeat as the season progresses, with the British driver not pointing the finger of blame at Ferrari nor the car.

Hamilton’s qualifying pace remains a particular weakness – one that stems back to last year, as George Russell dominated the intra-Mercedes qualifying battle.

“It happens every Saturday,” Hamilton said. When asked how soon his struggles might ease, Hamilton admitted he didn’t know, describing his form as “painful” and without a clear end in sight.

“I think I’ll struggle also in Miami,” Hamilton told media, including PlanetF1.com, in Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll struggle for, but it’s definitely painful.

“At the moment there’s no fix. So, this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year. It’s going to be painful.”

Hamilton’s main issue appears to be confidence in medium to high-speed corners, which was emphasised quite clearly at the high-speed Jeddah circuit, and Hamilton said it’s evident in the data where he’s falling short of what Leclerc is managing.

“He’s been driving this car for a long time, so he definitely knows it really well. There’s plenty in the data, for sure,” Hamilton explained.

“I mean, honestly, like, it doesn’t look massively different in the data. Just… I go slower through the corners. We do have slightly different setups, I have to look and see whether that setup is the way the car likes to be.

“Yeah, him and his side are definitely obviously doing a better job.”

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