In a shocking situation reversal, Angela Cullen, Physiotherapist and longtime confidante of Lewis Hamilton, announced his departure from Ferrari a few hours after the disastrous performance of the seven -time world champion at the Spanish Grand Prix 2025 on June 1. In an enigmatic declaration of five words – “I can no longer look at that” – published on Instagram Stories at 4:02 pm on June 4, 2025, Cullen hinted at his deep frustration in the face of Ferrari’s difficulties and the highly publicized Hamilton incident with Max Verstappen, who triggered the controversy and the suspension of the Red Bull driver. This announcement, which occurred only a few months after the famous meeting between Cullen and Hamilton at Ferrari, rocked Formula 1, raising questions about the internal dynamics of the team and Hamilton’s hopes to win the championship.
Cullen’s departure follows a tumultuous Spanish Grand Prix, where Hamilton, who left third, was on the way to get on the podium, but abandoned after a collision with Verstappen on the 64th round. The incident, triggered in a fight for fourth place after restarting under security car, earned Verstappen a penalty for aggressive driving, while Hamilton’s race ended in the gravel, marking his second abandonment in 2025. The unapproprious SF-25 of Ferrari, criticized for its mediocre rhythm and misman Seventh in the pilot ranking, 72 points from the leader Oscar Piastri. X fans speculated that Cullen’s departure was due to frustration in the face of Ferrari’s inability to provide Hamilton with a competitive car, a writing user: “Angela left because Ferrari drops Lewis. Others have underlined the emotional weight of the Hamilton accident, amplified by the accusations of Verstappen that his teammate, George Russell, would have “trapped”.
Cullen, who returned to Hamilton in January 2025 after an interruption of two years, was considered an important step in its transition from
Mercedes at Ferrari. His presence during pre-season tests in Bahrain and Fiorano, in Red Ferrari, had fueled optimism about Hamilton’s chances of winning an eighth title. Hamilton himself praised Cullen’s return, declaring to Sky Sports F1: “The return of angel is fantastic, this is my rock. Their partnership, forged by four championship victories with Mercedes from 2016 to 2023, was to stabilize Hamilton in the pressure environment of Maranello. However, the irregular season of Ferrari, tainted by the difficulties of Charles Leclerc and the lack of developments, slowed down expectations, the stable being preceded by McLaren and Red Bull in the manufacturers’ classification.
Cullen’s declaration, although brief, speaks volumes. Sources close to the stable, cited by Motorsport.com, suggest that it was disappointed by Ferrari’s strategic errors, especially after a failed refueling strategy at the Spanish Grand Prix, which forced Hamilton to use worn medium tires in the face of the hardwords of Verstappen. Her departure echoes her departure from Mercedes in 2023, where she had looked for personal adventures before briefly team with Indycar Marcus Armstrong driver. On X, fans expressed their sorrow, one of them writing: “Angela left? Lewis needs her! Others have speculated on a return to Indycar or a new break, given its mental health.
The director of the Ferrari team, Fred Vasseur, refused to comment directly, but recognized the pressure exerted by the highly publicized transfer of Hamilton, declaring: “We work to give Lewis the car he deserves. Hamilton, on the other hand, remained silent on the departure of Cullen, but faced many criticisms following his hanging with Verstappen, some in X qualifying him as “past”. The loss of Cullen, an essential emotional and professional pillar, could destabilize Hamilton before the Grand Prix of Canada, where Ferrari hopes to bounce back. His departure also reappears the debate on Ferrari’s ability to manage the best pilots, with comparisons with the hectic passage of Sebastian Vettel from 2015 to 2020.
While the F1 world digests this bomb, Cullen’s enigmatic declaration leaves more questions than answers. Has his departure been motivated by Ferrari’s failures, Hamilton’s difficulties or emotional repercussions of the controversy of the GP of Spain? While Hamilton’s Dreams of Hamilton are fading and the Ferrari season is in ruins, the departure of Cullen marks a turning point, darkening Maranello’s ambitions. Fans and experts will now follow the way Hamilton will manage this defeat, on and off the track, in a season already marked by dramas and disappointments.
