Lewis Hamilton’s debut year with Ferrari has been anything but straightforward, yet he remains unbothered by one element that once drove Sebastian Vettel to distraction — the relentless scrutiny of the Italian media. After crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton cut a frustrated figure. He had already spun twice in practice, was beaten by teammate Charles Leclerc in qualifying, and then slid across the painted kerbs of Turn 3 in the race before his Ferrari found the barriers. The incident, as Hamilton himself admitted, was “very unusual” for so early in a grand prix, and only added to the sense of a season not going to plan.

At the previous round in Hungary, Hamilton had spoken in noticeably subdued tones, hinting at his dissatisfaction with Ferrari’s current form. Driving for the Scuderia, after all, carries enormous weight. The team’s history and the passion of the Tifosi make success a demand rather than a request. Sebastian Vettel, who spent six seasons in red, frequently spoke of feeling burdened by that expectation.

 

Why Hamilton is different to Vettel

But Marcin Budkowski, who worked with Hamilton during his early years at McLaren, believes the seven-time champion is cut from a different cloth when it comes to handling Ferrari’s unique pressures.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Budkowski said Hamilton is unlikely to lose sleep over what the Italian press might say. “The pressure is huge from the Italian press and from the Italian society in general. I don’t think Lewis cares about that. He’s evolved a lot since I first worked with him, and I doubt Corriere della Sera headlines are keeping him awake at night.”

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Vettel worn down by Ferrari spotlight

Vettel, by contrast, was worn down by that constant scrutiny, calling it a “burden” in his later years with Ferrari. Hamilton, however, sees his Ferrari move as the final chapter of his storied career — the chance to crown his legacy with the sport’s most iconic team, regardless of the noise from the media.

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Why Hamilton’s mindset might be different

Hamilton has already achieved everything Vettel once chased — multiple world championships, a record-breaking career, and the luxury of racing without the need to prove himself. Where Vettel arrived at Ferrari hoping to emulate Michael Schumacher, Hamilton arrives with his legacy already secure. That difference in circumstance may explain why Hamilton can view the criticism as background noise, while Vettel felt every headline as an attack on his unfinished mission.

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The challenge of Monza

Still, Monza looms as a daunting test. The Tifosi expect nothing less than glory at the team’s home race, but Hamilton will be handicapped by a five-place grid penalty.

The Ferrari has also struggled on high-speed circuits, making the weekend an uphill battle. For Hamilton, though, it’s not the external pressure that matters — it’s whether the SF-25 can give him the platform to deliver.

 

MORE F1 NEWS – McLaren’s divided garage ‘happier’ when Norris wins

The 2025 Formula One Dutch Grand Prix will prove to be a turning point in this year’s battle for the drivers’ championship. With Lando Norris already trailing his team mate by nine points it seemed the race in Zandvoort was a must win for the British driver.

Yet it was heartbreak for Lando as with just seven laps remaining a puff of tell tale smoke appeared from the rear of his MCL39. Seconds later the Mercedes power unit gave up the ghost and Norris was out of the race losing 25 points to his team mate.

At the time team boss Andrea Stella was cautious about apportioning blame, saying, “we have some initial indication based on the data, but in fairness, we don’t have full proof of what has happened on Lando’s car, so I would refrain from making any speculation about [whether] it’s a problem on the chassis side or it’s a problem on the engine side.”

 

McLaren connector failed on Norris car

Analysis by the Woking based team has now revealed it was indeed a McLaren part which failed and not the Mercedes powertrain. It was an oil fitting that connects the Mercedes engine to the radiator on the side which has been deemed to have malfunctioned.

At the time the enormity of the DNF appeared to wash over the pitfall as engineers hung their heads in despair. Having spent the entire season preaching the McLaren way was about “fairness” towards each driver and the “neutrality” of the team in the title race its ironic it was a…READ MORE ON THIS STORY