Montoya outlines explosive Hamilton theory – Montoya warns of internal turmoil at Ferrari: Hamilton-Leclerc dynamic could mirror Red Bull crisis – Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Juan Pablo Montoya has sounded the alarm at Ferrari following the team’s rocky start to the 2025 Formula One season.
The Colombian former F1 race winner and two-time World Championship bronze medallist sees a potentially combustible situation brewing at Maranello – one that echoes the problems Red Bull Racing has been battling with for years.
The cause of Montoya’s concern? Lewis Hamilton
Since Hamilton’s long-awaited debut in red, things haven’t gone to plan. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari from Mercedes in a historic move, has struggled to find form and, more worryingly, to connect with the SF-25. After a subdued performance in Saudi Arabia, where he could only manage seventh place, Hamilton himself admitted that he wasn’t feeling at one with the car – a stark contrast to team-mate Charles Leclerc, who put the same machine on the podium in third.
Hamilton’s frustrations have been aired in public, with the Brit admitting his own shortcomings rather than blaming the car. But Montoya believes the problem runs much deeper and could send shockwaves through Ferrari’s carefully laid plans.
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Hamilton’s adaptation problems mirror Red Bull’s past
Montoya didn’t mince his words when drawing comparisons to Red Bull’s internal struggles in recent years – particularly the dynamic between Max Verstappen and his various teammates.
“Lewis Hamilton blames himself for not performing, but he just doesn’t feel comfortable,” Montoya told plejmo.com in a recent interview.
“I think everyone at Ferrari is working hard to make him feel comfortable. But the consequence of that, if they really focus on making Lewis feel comfortable, is that they’re going to have problems with Charles in the long run.”
That line of thinking leads to a worrying parallel. At Red Bull, Verstappen’s dominance has often come at the expense of his team-mate’s ability to compete on equal terms. Sergio Pérez, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have all struggled to match the Dutchman – with each driver either too slow or unable to drive a car tailored to Verstappen’s unique style.
Montoya pointed to Pérez’s 2022 season as a prime example. The Mexican started strongly, even outqualifying and outperforming Verstappen in early races, prompting talk of a title fight between the two. But as development shifted to suit Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, Pérez found himself increasingly adrift.
“Look at Sergio Pérez. Two years ago, when Checo started the season so well, people thought the two drivers would be fighting for the championship. But when the car was finally good enough for Max’s demands, Checo couldn’t drive it,” recalls Montoya.
“That is the danger that Ferrari are in now. If they develop the car to suit Lewis’ preferences, it could be at the expense of Charles’ performance.”
Ferrari tug of war: development dilemma looms
The situation Montoya envisages puts Ferrari in a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, they have one of the most successful drivers in F1 history, who has proven his ability to lead a team and design a championship-winning car. On the other hand, they have Leclerc – the Scuderia’s prodigy and long-time lead driver, who is arguably Ferrari’s best hope since the departure of Sebastian Vettel.
Montoya believes the team’s focus may be shifting too much towards Hamilton’s comfort – and that such a move could end up alienating Leclerc.
“I think Ferrari could be going through the same thing. While they’re developing the car to make Lewis comfortable, all these things will affect Charles’ performance,” he said.
“So it will be interesting to see how far Ferrari will go to make Lewis comfortable.”
It’s a legitimate concern. In F1, car development is a delicate art. Optimising performance for one driver can inadvertently compromise the other, especially when their driving styles and feedback are so different. Hamilton, who is known to need a car with plenty of front-end grip and balance through corners, could push engineers to make changes that are not in line with Leclerc’s preferences – who may prefer a looser rear or different braking characteristics.
A disappointing start: Ferrari’s season falls short of the hype
Ferrari’s 2025 campaign was billed as a new dawn – with Hamilton’s arrival promising renewed energy, development expertise and a potential return to title contention. However, the first few races have failed to live up to expectations.
From Bahrain to Australia and now Saudi Arabia, Hamilton has been off the pace, out-qualified and out-raced by Leclerc in each round.
In Australia in particular, the Briton looked dejected, describing the car as “unpredictable” and “disconnected”. Meanwhile, Leclerc has kept Ferrari’s hopes alive, scoring points and podiums with consistent drives that suggest the SF-25 has real pace – in the right hands.
Montoya, while critical of the situation, isn’t writing Hamilton off just yet. On the contrary, he believes Ferrari need to lean on Lewis’ experience and trust his instincts, even if it risks destabilising their current equilibrium.
“We were all excited to see how much effort Ferrari put in with Lewis in the car. We all expected to see a magical Ferrari this year and it didn’t happen,” admitted Montoya.
“But at the end of the day, Lewis has worked in teams that have won championships. He knows what it takes to win championships.”
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Hamilton’s experience still Ferrari’s trump card
Despite the growing tension, Montoya doesn’t deny Hamilton’s value. With over a decade of title contention under his belt, Hamilton’s insight into car development, team dynamics and strategy could still be an asset to Ferrari – if they can find a way to harness it without alienating Leclerc.
“Ferrari need to listen to Lewis and improve the car according to Lewis’ wishes,” Montoya advised.
“If they do that, they will have a much better all-round car that will be more competitive.”
Montoya added that a Hamilton-centric development path could eventually lead to Lewis overtaking Leclerc on pace – not because Charles isn’t fast, but because Lewis would be more in tune with a car designed around his preferences.
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The road ahead: Internal battle or shared success?
Ferrari are now walking a tightrope. The team must decide how to manage its star-studded driver line-up without falling into the traps that have plagued its rivals. With Hamilton still settling in and Leclerc already delivering results, the Scuderia must either double down on its traditional structure with Charles at the spearhead, or pivot to fully embrace Hamilton’s leadership and experience – even at the risk of internal rivalry.
What’s clear is that one car can’t be everything to both drivers – and history has shown that a team divided by direction, development focus or favouritism rarely wins championships.
As the 2025 season progresses and the European leg of the calendar looms, Ferrari will be under intense scrutiny. Their ability to blend the talents of a legend and a rising star into a harmonious package could determine whether this season ends in triumph or another chapter in their long drought since 2007.
For now, Montoya’s words hang in the air like a warning shot: adapt too much to Hamilton and Leclerc could become collateral damage. But ignore Hamilton and you risk wasting one of the most strategic signings of the modern era of F1.
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The high speed action along the Red Sea corniche was thrilling to watch, but the race was decided within seconds of the lights going out to signal the start of the race. With the drivers being held for what felt like a split second, Piastri reacted more quickly to the signal to start the race and held a small advantage over Verstappen as the entered the braking zone.
Verstappen veered sharply to the right hand edge of the track to create an angle from which he could attack the corner at a higher speed, but this merely served to allow the McLaren driver the space to move towards the centre of the track rather than remain pinned against the wall on the left hand side….. READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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