Ferrari and Hamilton: Cracks appear in Italy as frustration mounts over SF-25 performance – Last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Imola offered a glimmer of relief for Lewis Hamilton as the seven-time world champion secured a respectable fourth place behind the leaders. On paper, the result looks solid, even promising. But the mood in the Ferrari camp and among the passionate Tifosi remains one of muted disappointment. The long-awaited union between Hamilton and the Scuderia has yet to bear fruit, and patience is wearing thin in the heartland of Italian motorsport.
Hamilton, who joined Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season after more than a decade with Mercedes, was expected to usher in a new era of dominance. Instead, the Briton is struggling with the same frustrations that have plagued Ferrari in recent years: inconsistent performances, poor strategy decisions and a car that struggles to match the pace of its rivals over a full race weekend.
Despite his status as one of F1’s statistically greatest drivers, Hamilton has found himself caught up in the same systemic problems that have prevented Ferrari from returning to championship glory.
A fourth-place finish at Imola may have been a small step forward, but it did little to silence the critics – particularly those in Italy – who had heralded Hamilton’s arrival as the dawn of a new golden age. What’s become clear, according to many fans and commentators, is that the SF-25 – not Hamilton – is at the root of the underwhelming results.
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Ferrari’s loyal fans shift the blame
As the chequered flag came down at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, local fans openly expressed their thoughts to the French newspaper Le Parisien. For many of them, the problem lies with Ferrari’s machinery rather than Hamilton’s driving skills.
“What can I tell you?” said one fan quoted by the publication.
“Even Leclerc, who knows the car inside out, can’t do anything. Now we can clearly see that if Hamilton doesn’t win, it’s Ferrari’s fault, not his. We can’t forget the truth. We’re very far from where we should be. This season is already dead.”
That sentiment echoes a growing undercurrent among the Ferrari faithful – a creeping sense that the team, not the drivers, continue to fall short of expectations. While Charles Leclerc has had his moments of brilliance, he too has been unable to mount a consistent challenge against the likes of McLaren, Red Bull or even a resurgent Mercedes.
Many fans are already pinning their hopes on the 2026 season, when sweeping rule changes are expected to reset the technical playing field.
“We have to hope that the 2026 rule change will bear fruit. Something has to happen. And we’ll be happy to come back,” he concluded.
Vasseur offers measured optimism amid frustration
Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur, while not denying the team’s shortcomings, offered a more nuanced view after the race. In his post-race comments, he pointed to the team’s strong race pace and strategic execution as silver linings, even if the result fell short of the podium.
“I don’t believe in the word ‘luck’,” said Vasseur, referring to the team’s repeated problems.
“It’s not luck when you have the same problem in Jeddah, Miami and Imola. It just means that we have to do a better job.”
That recurring problem, as Vasseur pointed out, is Ferrari’s ongoing struggle with qualifying pace. While the SF-25 seems to come alive during the race, its performance on Saturdays puts Hamilton and Leclerc at a disadvantage from the outset. In modern F1, track position is paramount and Ferrari’s inability to secure front row starts has left both drivers playing catch-up more often than not.
“The positive thing is that the pace was strong from start to finish,” continued Vasseur.
“The strategy was good and well executed. I’m a bit frustrated because if we had started the race in a better position we could have done better. We have a real delta between qualifying and race pace that our rivals don’t have.”
A break-up brewing? Or just growing pains?
While there has been no official break-up, there have been rumours in the Italian press of a “break-up” between Ferrari and Hamilton. These rumours are probably premature, but they reflect the very real tensions simmering beneath the surface of this high-profile partnership.
Hamilton has remained largely diplomatic in public. But sources close to the team have hinted at frustration behind the scenes – not just with the car, but with Ferrari’s technical direction and communication structure.
It wouldn’t be the first time Hamilton has had a rocky start with a new team. His first year at Mercedes in 2013 was similarly met with scepticism, but ultimately laid the foundations for one of the most dominant periods in F1 history. Whether a similar transformation can take place at Ferrari is far from certain, at best.
Unlike Mercedes, Ferrari is under a different kind of pressure – cultural, historical and emotional. It is not just a team, it is a national institution, one whose fortunes are followed with the same fervour as those of the Italian football team. Every misstep is magnified. Every decision is scrutinised. In such an environment, even the most accomplished drivers can find it difficult to thrive.
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The road ahead: Upgrades, pressure and the 2026 reset
For Ferrari, the remainder of the 2025 season is likely to be a period of damage control and quiet development. While publicly they will continue to fight for podiums, internally the focus may already be shifting towards 2026. That season will bring a new engine formula and revised chassis regulations, giving Ferrari the opportunity to reset the narrative and build a car more suited to Hamilton’s strengths.
In the short term, performance updates to the SF-25 are expected in the coming races, with engineers targeting gains in aerodynamic efficiency and tyre management. Whether these changes will be enough to mount a serious challenge this year remains to be seen. But with the driver line-up of Hamilton and Leclerc – arguably the strongest pairing on the grid – the team knows the raw talent is there. It’s the machinery that needs to catch up.
Imola provided a momentary lift, but it was also a stark reminder of how far Ferrari still has to go. The question now is whether the team – and Hamilton – can find the patience and stamina to weather the storm together.
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In his seventh race weekend for Formula One’s most iconic team, Lewis Hamilton had his best outing since donning the red racing overalls. Whilst qualifying was a concern for Ferrari with neither car making it into the top ten, the race was a different story.
Hamilton had again been out qualified by his team mate as the pair started the Grand Prix in Imola P11 and P12. This year it has been Charles Leclerc who has understood the tyre degradation better than Hamilton, but in Emilia-Romagne this was all to change.
Lewis was able to continue further into the race without changing his tyres, whilst Charles Leclerc was concerned his pit stop was too early for him to manage “plan A.” As it so happened Hamilton benefitted from the same virtual safety car as did Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, all of whom made their first stop after Esteban Ocon’s Haas came to a standstill on…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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