Valtteri Bottas sees the ‘most complex’ issue holding Lewis Hamilton back at Ferrari, ‘learn the basics’

Lewis Hamilton is having a difficult start to his Ferrari career, and Valtteri Bottas feels the Briton must understand ‘the basics’ of one ‘complex’ issue to unlock better form.

Bottas knows what makes Hamilton tick better than most drivers after sharing a garage with the seven-time F1 champion at Mercedes for five seasons from 2017 until 2021. Those were some of the Briton’s most successful years, too, having returned four of his six titles in silver.

Hamilton looks a long way from contending for the F1 drivers’ championship in red after the Stevenage-born star left Mercedes for Ferrari this season. He has scored just 30 points over the first five rounds of the 2025 season and has not finished a Grand Prix higher than fifth.

Troubles adapting to Ferrari’s car has further left Hamilton just seventh in the standings with a 68-point deficit to championship-leader Oscar Piastri. Ferrari think Hamilton is performing well below their expectations, too, with teammate Charles Leclerc ranking fifth on 47 points.

Valtteri Bottas thinks Lewis Hamilton’s ‘most complex’ issue is learning to manage adjusting Ferrari’s engine

Also, Ferrari think Hamilton must adapt his driving style for the SF-25 as the 105-time Grand Prix winner has so far failed to get on top of the car’s weak rear end. Hamilton has struggled to find their car’s potential, with its rear causing him issues at high speed and under braking.

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But the ‘most complex’ issue that Bottas sees for Hamilton at Ferrari is the ongoing learning process of how to manage adjusting the Scuderia’s engine. This year is the first time that he has ever driven in F1 with a power unit not built by Mercedes, yet the differences are minor.

“It’s not that difficult,” Bottas told Automoto.it about Hamilton’s challenge of learning a new power unit at Ferrari. “I don’t think the differences are that big, apart from something minor regarding driveability.

“The most complex thing is managing the adjustments, given that the nomenclature is different. Once you learn the basics, you can get by without too much effort.”

Joining Ferrari has given Lewis Hamilton ‘new life’ as Valtteri Bottas sees positive signs

Bottas experienced the Ferrari power unit over the last three years whilst driving for Sauber, adding a third engine manufacturer to the Finn’s Formula 1 CV. He also used a Renault V8 at Williams in 2012 and 2013, before they switched to the Mercedes V6 turbo-hybrid for 2014.

Hamilton is now going through the same learning process that Bottas had at Sauber in 2022 following his switch from Mercedes to Ferrari. Between his debut in the 2007 F1 season and last term, the 104-time pole sitter had only used Mercedes’ V8 and V6 turbo-hybrid engines.

But the Scuderia’s power unit is not the only topic that he must now fully understand to get comfortable racing in red. Given his issues adapting to the SF-25, Hamilton was slower than Leclerc in every session but Q1 in Saudi Arabia last week and he also needed two runs in Q1.

Still, though, 2025 Mercedes reserve driver Bottas feels his old teammate is ‘doing well’ this season. The 35-year-old looks at the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, in particular, as Hamilton won the Shanghai Sprint from pole position and he led Piastri by 6.889 seconds at the finish.

“I think he’s doing well, even if he’s still adapting and needs time,” Bottas added. “But he’s already shown that he still has speed on his side, especially in China. I think a change like that has given him new life and it can only be positive.”