Lewis Hamilton continues to endure a disappointing start to his Ferrari career, with the seven-time Formula 1 champion scoring only 41 points in the first six rounds of 2025.
The 40-year-old is also yet to finish a Grand Prix higher than fifth since leaving Mercedes for Maranello at the start of this year. Instead, his strongest displays for the Scuderia so far have come in Sprints, after Hamilton won the Shanghai Sprint and secured P3 in the Miami Sprint.
A bold strategy call after the rain stopped saw Hamilton come third in the Miami Sprint after pitting early for slick tyres. But the Briton’s joy did not transfer to the Grand Prix, and Ferrari found it indigestible that Hamilton qualified P12 for the Miami GP just hours after the Sprint.
Last Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix also potentially highlighted some emerging tension between Hamilton and Ferrari. His frustration became more and more obvious throughout the race at Hard Rock Stadium, as Hamilton often bemoaned how Ferrari utilised team orders in Miami.
Lucas di Grassi questions if Lewis Hamilton will ‘compromise’ his lifestyle to win an eighth F1 title
So, as his lack of form persists ahead of the 2025 F1 season heading to the Scuderia’s home Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lucas di Grassi questions how ‘hungry’ Hamilton is to win an eighth F1 drivers’ championship. His 41 points put Hamilton in only seventh place.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
| 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 |
The Brazilian also wonders if his former karting, F3, F2 and briefly F1 rival is still prepared to ‘compromise’ his life in order to secure a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 title. It is one of many factors Di Grassi feels is holding Hamilton back, along with the Briton’s ‘bank account’.
Di Grassi told RacingNews365: “I think it has to do with ageing. But it also has to do with how hungry he is, how many millions he has in the bank account, how much he really wants a title, is he able to compromise his whole life now the way he used to when he wanted his first title [and] how much time he spent on the simulator.
“I think there are a lot of things, yes. And I think age and progress in the career are part of this, right? It’s very unusual.”
Lewis Hamilton is one of the richest people in the UK with a net worth of £350m
Hamilton is one of the richest Formula 1 drivers of all time, with his brand appeal stretching far beyond the sport. The Sunday Times Rich List 2024 even named him as the ninth-richest person in the UK aged under 40 with a net worth of £350m, only £50m outside the top 324.
But his millions of pounds in the bank are not delivering results on the track, so Ferrari think Hamilton is performing well below their expectations. His P5 in the Bahrain Grand Prix is his best result so far after taking P10 in Australia, P7 in Japan and Saudi Arabia and P8 in Miami.
The Scuderia are now working on a potential solution to help one of the issues stopping him from achieving stronger results in the SF-25, however. Ferrari are working on an unexpected suspension change as their car is unpredictable and is compromising Hamilton in qualifying.
