Lewis Hamilton finds himself up against a “younger generation” of drivers better equipped to excel in the current Formula 1 cars.

This is the verdict cast by former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde, who thus warns Hamilton that this is currently “a problem he can’t get out of” after a mixed start to life as a Ferrari driver.

Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari: Current F1 cars clash with what he learned?

After a challenging final season with Mercedes in 2024, Hamilton realised a childhood dream by making his blockbuster move to Ferrari for F1 2025, where he continues the search for a record eighth World Championship.

However, what had become a low-key start to Ferrari life is growing increasingly concerning, with Hamilton’s downbeat nature of recent weeks seemingly continuing to spiral, to the point of quipping last time out in Saudi Arabia that he needs “a brain transplant” to gel with the Ferrari SF-25.

He added: “I’ve just got to keep on taking a deep breath. I know that the fans aren’t happy. I’m sure the team are not happy. I know the bosses are not happy. And I’m not happy with my results.”

Hamilton went on to tell the media, including PlanetF1.com, that there is “no fix” and that it will be a “painful” season to come.

Despite the Sprint pole and victory for Hamilton in China, he is yet to finish a grand prix ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, and ex-Caterham F1 racer Giedo van der Garde told RacingNews635.com that Hamilton “has had a slap around the ears from his team-mate – and hard as well.”

Pointing to “confidence” as “the main thing” that has served to floor Hamilton at Ferrari so far, van der Garde also sees another glaring issue, one relating to the drivers which Hamilton is now going up against in Formula 1, and something he can seemingly do nothing about currently.

“When he came into Formula 1, he was a cannon, young and eager,” van der Garde said of Hamilton. “He came in next to Fernando Alonso and later he knew with Nico Rosberg [at Mercedes] that he actually had the upper hand – he had beaten him fairly easily since karting.

“He’s facing a different generation now. He’s getting older and also took a hit when he didn’t manage to take that eighth World title.

“Then for years he didn’t have the car to compete at the front, although he did show some good races last year. At Silverstone, of course, he did produce a super performance.

“But as I said, he is also facing a younger generation that knows how to handle the driving techniques of the current generation of cars a little better than Hamilton has learned. I think at the moment that’s a problem he can’t get out of.

“Of course I know a little bit about how I grew up and the driving style that was rammed into us, which is different from the generation of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris. They just drive differently, a bit rounder and can deal with a loose rear end a bit easier.

“I think if we went back to the generation [of F1 cars] from about five or six years ago, he would still be superior. But with the new generation he just struggles more.”

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Van der Garde further expanded on his Hamilton at Ferrari verdict with Viaplay, claiming the seven-time World Champion’s confidence was “completely gone”.

“He had no speed, really zero,” said the Dutchman on Hamilton.

“Sometimes he was one and a half to two seconds a lap slower than Charles Leclerc. He also finished thirty seconds behind Leclerc.

“I think he doesn’t know what left and right is anymore, and that he really has a big problem. He cannot solve it himself. The gap is far too big. He has no confidence.

“This is really bad. He is a driver who needs to feel confident in the car anyway, but that’s completely gone.”

Hamilton sits P7 in the current Drivers’ Championship standings, two positions and 16 points behind Leclerc.

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