Hamilton overshadowed at Suzuka as Italians deliver harsh verdict, meanwhile Mercedes successor Antonelli shines as Ferrari falter – Lewis Hamilton arrived in Japan hoping for a turnaround. After an underwhelming start to life in Ferrari red, the seven-time world champion was desperate for a result that would finally give the Tifosi faithful some optimism.
Instead, what followed at Suzuka was another painful reminder of how far the Scuderia still lags behind its rivals. To add insult to injury, Hamilton was given a stinging 5.5 out of 10 rating by Italy’s most respected sports daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport, who saw little to celebrate in the Briton’s lonely seventh place finish – a race in which he watched his former team, Mercedes, surge ahead with renewed vigour.
A tale of two teams: Mercedes on the rise, Ferrari static
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes was supposed to be the start of a new golden era for Ferrari, a team that had been yearning for championship glory for more than a decade. But just four races into the 2025 season, reality has set in. While Mercedes appear rejuvenated with George Russell and teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari remain mired in inconsistency and unfulfilled potential.
At Suzuka the gulf between the two teams was all too apparent. Russell and Antonelli finished fifth and sixth respectively – both ahead of Hamilton, who could only manage P7 after a solitary on-track overtake of rookie Isack Hadjar. Worse still, Charles Leclerc, who has consistently outperformed his new teammate this season, finished a solid fourth, but still 16 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen.
Hamilton, meanwhile, spent much of the race in a virtual no-man’s land.
“The Mercedes are faster than us,” Hamilton admitted with blunt honesty after the race.
“That’s why they were able to get so close to Charles.” And yet, for many onlookers – particularly those in the Italian press – that admission did little to soften the assessment of Hamilton’s own performance.
The Italian report card: Hamilton ‘stuns’ for all the wrong reasons
In a typically blunt post-race assessment, La Gazzetta dello Sport offered a damning summary of Hamilton’s day.
“Apart from 7th place, which would always seem out of place next to his name, he didn’t seem to be racing to his full potential. Leclerc managed to position himself in front of the two Mercedes cars.” it said, slapping a dismal 5.5 out of 10 next to his name, the same score awarded to Yuki Tsunoda, who finished a minute behind Verstappen on his Red Bull debut.
It was a striking message from Italy’s sports media establishment.
The excitement surrounding Hamilton’s high-profile move to Ferrari over the winter had reached fever pitch. The belief – or perhaps the dream – was that his arrival would instantly transform Ferrari into a title-challenging force. But in Japan, it was Antonelli, Hamilton’s Mercedes successor, who looked like the heir apparent to F1 greatness.
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Antonelli rises: Overtaking Hamilton, earning respect
At just 18 years of age, Kimi Antonelli is still learning the ropes of Formula One. But you wouldn’t know it from watching the rookie Italian driver at Suzuka.
The teenager’s calm, calculated driving earned him a strong sixth place finish and widespread acclaim. La Gazzetta gave him a 7.5 – higher than Leclerc, Russell or Norris – praising his composure and noting that “Suzuka is a track for real drivers: it was great to see him drive like a veteran and already take some youth records from Verstappen.
Hamilton, who found himself chasing Antonelli midway through the race, admitted he couldn’t match the youngster’s pace.
“When I was behind Antonelli, he was just so much faster in some parts of the track. I just couldn’t follow him,” he explained. “I really got the most out of my car today. There was nothing left in it…”
While Hamilton’s comments offered a fair assessment of the SF-25’s limitations, they also highlighted a harsh reality: Ferrari’s car is simply not good enough – and its star driver appears helpless to change that.
Qualifying crucial, but no panacea
Hamilton was also quick to point to Saturday as the day when the damage was done. “Qualifying position was crucial, given the performance of the rear of the car. I think I probably would have been overtaken by the Mercedes if I had started higher up,” he said.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Oscar Piastri, who also felt hampered by his grid position.
But the truth is that Hamilton did not make a strong enough statement in qualifying either. And in a field where tenths of a second can mean the difference between podium and midfield, Ferrari cannot afford to be reactive. The team’s strategy, balance and tyre degradation continue to lag behind the top three – Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren – and Hamilton’s driving has yet to close the gap.
A season unfolding with unease in Maranello
For Ferrari, Suzuka was another chapter in a difficult start to 2025. While Leclerc continues to drag the team towards the front of the pack through sheer determination, Hamilton’s performances have lacked both spark and consistency. Worse still, the broader narrative emerging in the Italian media is that the team’s problems go beyond hardware – there’s a creeping sense that the chemistry between Ferrari and their star recruit is yet to bear fruit.
Fans and pundits alike had hoped for fireworks with Hamilton in red. What they have instead is a series of flat performances, capped by a humiliation at the hands of his old team and a future star who has already begun to write his own legend.
Ferrari frustrated with Hamilton poor show
The Verstappen standard and Ferrari’s failure to rise
Max Verstappen’s own rating – a mere 8 out of 10 – sparked controversy among fans, some of whom questioned how ‘perfection’ could be anything other than a perfect score. But there was little debate about his dominance at Suzuka. His pole lap was masterful, his race control effortless and his composure unshakable. Behind him, the rest of the grid fought for scraps, with McLaren unable to keep pace, Mercedes proving their rise to prominence and Ferrari once again just trying to survive.
That’s what makes Hamilton’s current predicament so frustrating to watch. This is a driver who once matched Verstappen blow for blow in an epic title fight in 2021. But in 2025, Hamilton is fighting not for glory, but for relevance – and even that seems an uphill battle.
Looking ahead: Patience or panic?
There’s still time for Hamilton to right the ship. The season is still young and Ferrari’s technical team are still working hard to unlock the performance of the SF-25. But the pressure is building. The tifosi, notoriously impatient when results don’t come, are already grumbling. The Italian media, never shy of criticism, are sharpening their pens. And Mercedes, with Russell and Antonelli, look like a team not only reborn but ready to compete.
The road back to the top was always going to be a challenge. But if Suzuka was any indication, Hamilton’s journey with Ferrari could be even steeper – and lonelier – than anyone expected.
For now, the verdict from Italy is clear: Antonelli is rising. Mercedes is rising. And Hamilton, for all his accolades, is stuck chasing shadows.
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Red Bull Racing will be relieved after Max Verstappen’s win at the 2025 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix following a tumultuous two weeks for the team since China. Arriving in Suzuka, the team faced a media barrage following their decision to demote Liam Lawson and replace him with Yuki Tsunoda.
Dr. Helmut Marko had been doing the rounds of the European F1 media following the announcement, claiming the original decision to place Lawson in the seat vacated by Sergio Perez had been “unanimous” back in December.
As TJ13 reported last week, following the announcement of Lawson taking the second Red Bull seat Christian Horner actually said: “I think the feeling within the team is that the trajectory Liam is on has more potential, which is why we’ve taken that route. But that doesn’t rule Yuki out in the future – it was a very split decision and Yuki certainly impressed the team when he tested in Abu Dhabi.“…. READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Ferrari should have signed Kimi Antonelli, the young, hunger, and super fit driver, instead of the old, tired, unfit and past champion F1 driver. It is not too late to replace Lewis Hamilton with another driver.
This site is garbage
Hamfosi alert
Ferrari should have kept Sainz, instead they chose to install a driver whose time in F1 should have ended in 2022. Hamilton is not relevant anymore and continues to blame his car (recedes and Ferrari) for his dismal performance these past 3 years. By all accounts, Red Bulls vehicle is slower yet Verstappen seems to find ways to win, despite having a slower vehicle ….Hamilton needs to step away. His time has come and gone and Ferrari is paying the price for her another bad decision.
Agree 100% on Sainz comment