Mika Hakkinen has seen Lewis Hamilton make one mistake since joining Ferrari you should never do

Lewis Hamilton has had a difficult start to life at Ferrari as he struggles to adapt to his new surroundings and his 2025 car.

Many expected the Maranello outfit to challenge McLaren for the championship after finishing just 14 points behind in 2024. With Hamilton linking up with Charles Leclerc, the team had all they needed to win their first title since 2008.

However, it has not played out that way for Ferrari as they struggle to get the SF-25 in the right operating window. Hamilton has not finished on the podium so far in 2025, while Leclerc has scored two in Jeddah and Monaco.

Miscommunication over the radio and botched strategy calls have again hampered the Maranello outfit this season as they sit fourth in the constructors’ championship. The car’s balance issues have made life tough for Hamilton since making the switch from Mercedes over the winter.

Hamilton has a ‘chronic lack of confidence’ in the front end of the car as he struggles to adapt to its characteristics. The Monaco GP was a brief relief as Leclerc topped every practice session and finished second behind Lando Norris, but it was a frustrating weekend for Hamilton.

Mika Hakkinen says you cannot crash before qualifying after seeing Lewis Hamilton’s accident in Monaco

The Brit was handed a three-place grid penalty for the race after he impeded Max Verstappen in qualifying. Unheard radio showed Hamilton did everything to avoid the penalty as he told his engineer Riccardo Adami to warn him of oncoming traffic.

With Monaco being almost impossible to overtake on, the 40-year-old struggled to make up ground. The mandatory two-pit stop directive allowed Hamilton to get ahead of Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso, but he still finished 51 seconds behind winner Norris in fifth.

Bernie Collins found Hamilton’s pace ‘worrying’ in Monaco as he fell significantly behind the top four. It was a disappointing weekend for the Brit, which was summed up by a crash at Massenet during FP3.

The Ferrari driver had been complaining about sliding throughout the session before he lost the back end and hit the barriers, destroying both tyres on the right side. Two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen witnessed the crash and stated that no driver should be crashing before qualifying.

The Finn said via F1 Explains: “Come on, when you try hard, then the possibility [is] always there [to] make a mistake.

“But, not before qualification. It’s a bit too close to prepare the car.”

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Can Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton find any improvements at the Spanish Grand Prix?

Ferrari and Hamilton are desperate to find improvements after a lacklustre start to the season. The Spanish Grand Prix presents an opportunity to do just that with the FIA’s technical directive with front wing flexibility.

The team hope it will shake up the pecking order and give them a chance to fight McLaren. But Hamilton does not know why Toto Wolff thinks it will help Ferrari, as it could have little to no effect in terms of performance.

The Brit claimed it did not make much of a difference in the simulator. While Monaco was an improvement for the team, it is clear that Ferrari must bring upgrades to perform at other circuits, particularly at ones like Barcelona.

Ferrari could struggle at the aero-dependent Barcelona circuit, with the track’s characteristics unlikely to suit the nature of the SF-25. The team could revert back to their ‘problematic’ self this weekend, highlighting how much work is needed to be a competitive force in 2025.