Lewis Hamilton’s Alarming Ferrari Struggles After Saudi Arabian GP Spark 2025 Season Concerns

Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Formula 1 season took a devastating turn at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where the seven-time world champion finished a disappointing seventh, a stark 31 seconds behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured Ferrari’s first podium of the year in third. The Jeddah race exposed Hamilton’s ongoing struggles with the Ferrari SF-25, culminating in a shocking post-race confession that has sent alarm bells ringing through Maranello: “I have no idea why I am not experiencing the same joy as he is.” With a 16-point deficit to Leclerc after just five races, Hamilton’s candid admission and visible frustration have raised serious questions about his adaptation to Ferrari and the team’s prospects for the remainder of the season.

Hamilton’s performance in Jeddah was a far cry from the expectations set for a driver of his caliber. Starting seventh, he failed to gain a single position, battling a car that felt “uncomfortable” throughout the weekend. Telemetry data revealed significant issues: Hamilton lost two-tenths in the last sector, three-tenths in the first, and one-tenth in the middle, with poor braking precision and high tire degradation on the medium compound costing him dearly.

Meanwhile, Leclerc’s ability to manage his tires and capitalize on clean air after Max Verstappen’s pit stop secured him a podium, highlighting the SF-25’s potential when driven with confidence. Hamilton, however, was candid about his struggles, stating, “There wasn’t one second where I felt comfortable with the car,” and admitting, “It’s not good enough, but I’m working really hard at it. It’s not coming easy at all.”

The Brit’s comments didn’t stop there. In a moment of frustration, he quipped that he’d need a “brain transplant” to gel with the car, a statement likely to frustrate Ferrari’s leadership as it underscores his ongoing adaptation woes. After 12 years with Mercedes, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was expected to bring immediate impact, but his lack of consistency has been glaring. Team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the tough weekend, noting, “Lewis was a bit inconsistent even in the race. He had a good first part of the second stint, but we need to be more consistent from Friday morning.” Vasseur pointed to the Chinese GP Sprint race, where Hamilton outqualified Leclerc by half a second and won, as proof of his potential, but Jeddah’s half-second deficit in qualifying and 30-second race gap tell a different story.

Ferrari’s hopes of challenging for the constructors’ championship are fading fast, with McLaren and Red Bull dominating early races. Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle described Hamilton’s performance as “uncomfortable viewing,” noting, “There have been weekends where Hamilton wouldn’t have lost seven-tenths to anybody, let alone in one sector. He’s clearly got to find his way with that car.” Brundle’s analysis suggests Hamilton may be heading in the wrong direction with his setup, lacking the confidence to push the SF-25 to its limits—a far cry from Verstappen’s knife-edge precision with Red Bull’s RB21. Ferrari’s struggles in the first sector, where Hamilton lost three-tenths all weekend, further compound the issue, with the car’s balance proving difficult to master on a track lined with barriers.

Hamilton’s father, Anthony, and Vasseur remain optimistic, with the latter emphasizing the long-term value of Hamilton’s 20 years of F1 experience, including stints at McLaren and Mercedes, to help Ferrari improve. However, with rumors swirling that Ferrari might shift focus to 2026 development amid their 2025 struggles, Hamilton’s immediate future looks bleak. “I know the fans aren’t happy, the team isn’t happy, and I’m not happy with my results,” Hamilton admitted, vowing to “keep working at it.” As the season heads to Miami, the pressure is on for Hamilton to rediscover his form—or risk Ferrari’s championship dreams slipping further out of reach. Can the seven-time champion turn his fortunes around, or is this the beginning of a premature pivot to 2026 for the Scuderia?