Hamilton warns McLaren: “It’s not over yet”, while Ferrari eyes a miracle comeback – McLaren may be dominating the 2025 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, but one familiar figure refuses to accept that the outcome is inevitable. Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, is sounding the alarm for his former team, warning that their lead of almost 200 points isn’t as secure as it seems.
McLaren have dominated for nine rounds this season, redefining supremacy in Formula 1. Their lead over Ferrari stands at an astonishing 197 points. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have taken command of the Drivers’ Championship, currently sitting one-two at the top, and they have also propelled McLaren into a seemingly unassailable position in the team standings.
However, if anyone knows how quickly fortunes can change in Formula 1, it’s Lewis Hamilton. He’s not writing off the 2025 season just yet.
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Hamilton says that McLaren’s lead is not “insurmountable”
Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix, where McLaren claimed a dominant one-two finish, Hamilton acknowledged the scale of McLaren’s current success. “They’ve done an incredible job,” he said. “The advantage they have is big — as far as I’m concerned, it’s half a second.”
However, the 40-year-old was also keen to stress that, while daunting, such a margin isn’t insurmountable. ‘They’re about three-tenths ahead in reality,’ he continued, ‘but that doesn’t make the gap insurmountable.’
It’s a subtle psychological jab and a rallying cry all in one. Hamilton, still finding his feet in his first season with Ferrari, isn’t ready to give up. With upgrades coming in batches across the grid and 15 races still to go, he’s urging caution before anyone hands McLaren their tenth Constructors’ title.
Hamilton says that it will take months to make gains, but he won’t rule out a surprise.
Still, Hamilton isn’t blind to the challenge facing Ferrari. The SF-25 remains frustratingly unpredictable. Its race pace is inconsistent, its tyre management is erratic and, despite moments of brilliance, Charles Leclerc hasn’t been able to mount a sustained threat to McLaren.
“I don’t think we have half a second of performance just lying around,” Hamilton admits. ‘That kind of step doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months of development to find even a tenth.”
Yet even in that admission lies a kernel of defiance. ‘Never say never,’ he smiled, echoing the kind of belief that once saw him drag an inferior car into title contention. It’s the same mentality that made him a seven-time world champion, and the same determination that helped McLaren win their last Constructors’ Championship in 1998.
A career that began in McLaren colours
For Hamilton, this battle has a deeper layer of meaning. His history with McLaren is well documented. He debuted with the team in 2007, nearly winning the title in his rookie season before claiming his first World Championship with them in 2008. Over the course of six seasons, he achieved 21 Grand Prix victories in a McLaren car — forming the foundation of his legacy in the sport.
His departure to Mercedes in 2013 raised eyebrows at the time. In hindsight, however, it was a masterstroke — marking the beginning of a decade-long era of dominance that would redefine both his career and the sport. Now, over a decade later, Hamilton finds himself on the other side of the equation, trying to catch up with an apparently unbeatable McLaren team.
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However, Hamilton’s return to title contention, whether personal or with his team, is being held back not just by McLaren’s speed, but also by Ferrari’s own internal struggles. The SF-25 has not delivered the performance promised during pre-season testing. Races have been a rollercoaster of performance fluctuations and strategic errors, and Hamilton himself has described one race — the Spanish Grand Prix — as the “worst race of my life”.
What makes McLaren’s dominance more painful for the Tifosi is the clear contrast. While Ferrari struggles with inconsistency, McLaren appears to be at the peak of its powers. Their cars perform well in all weather conditions, their strategies are robust, and their drivers — especially Oscar Piastri — seem to improve with every race weekend.
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Is anyone actually listening to Hamilton’s warning?
With the championship gap now almost equivalent to a full season’s worth of points, even seasoned observers are treating the Constructors’ title as a foregone conclusion. But Hamilton’s voice carries weight for a reason. In a sport where one regulatory change, a change in the weather, or a failed upgrade can alter the balance of power, the Ferrari driver is reminding everyone that no lead is truly safe.
His warning is aimed more at those in Maranello than at those in Woking. Ferrari needs belief. It needs urgency. And it needs direction. If there is to be any hope of closing the gap to McLaren, a total transformation is required — and it must start now.
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McLaren must avoid becoming complacent.
McLaren, for their part, appear unfazed. Team boss Andrea Stella has been careful not to overstate the team’s dominance, continually insisting that there is still work to be done. However, it’s difficult to imagine that the team isn’t already eyeing its first Constructors’ Championship title in over 25 years behind closed doors.
And that’s precisely the danger. In Formula 1, complacency can be fatal. A car that’s half a second ahead today could be struggling with tyre wear or aerodynamic drag a month from now. Ferrari’s rise in 2022 and McLaren’s upturn since 2023 both occurred in the second halves of the seasons. Momentum shifts, and Hamilton has seen it happen more than most.
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The road ahead: Ferrari must act — and quickly!
To make good on Hamilton’s rallying cry, they need to deliver now. This requires aggressive development, smart strategy and unity between their two star drivers. Despite being the faster driver for most of the season, Leclerc will need to work in tandem with Hamilton if there is to be any hope of clawing back ground.
Otherwise, the Scuderia risks being consigned to second place once again.
As Formula 1 heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, anticipation is building in the paddock. Will McLaren extend their winning streak on the streets of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve? Or might we finally see the first signs of vulnerability?
If so, you can be sure that Lewis Hamilton will be the first to pounce.
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Much of the British Formula One media, including broadcaster Sky TV, have revealed their hands in the past days. Shrieking for a black flag and in the moment blaming Verstappen for his collision with Charles Leclerc and the initial contact with Russell, the Sky commentary booth at the Spanish Grand Prix was positively anti-Max Verstappen.
As it turned out the channel’s own F1 analysts, Anthony Davidson, demonstrated not long after that it was Leclerc who turned in on Verstappen whilst ‘trying to avoid the marbles’ as he explained in the cool down room. Further, whilst George had made his dive bomb move, was ahead at the apex and remained on track, he failed to kepis Mercedes under control, forcing Verstappen to taker to the escape route in turn one.
No matter, the damage was done. The weekend summary from Barcelona was once again about what a ‘bully’ Max is and how he must be stopped. ‘Highly dangerous’ was another ridiculous comment about his 30mph shunt with Russell in turn five, particularly given these cars are designed to take up to 50g of lateral force and crash tested at over 200mph…. READ MORE
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.
