Lewis Hamilton’s mega move to Ferrari has fizzled out into a damp squib. The much vaunted merger of two global F1 brands has failed to deliver as Hamilton has once again struggled to compete with his team mate in the same car.
He was beaten by George Russell in two of their three seasons together at Mercedes and there is a widely held view in the paddock that Hamilton cannot get to grips with the current F1 ground effect cars which arrived in the sport the season after his epic duel with Max Verstappen in 2021.
The seven times champion sits a lowly sixth in the drivers’ championship with a significant deficit to his team mate Charles Leclerc (210-146). Hamilton has been whipped in qualifying by the Monegasqur driver (15-5) and his race finishing position have been worse than Leclerc no less than 17 times in 20 Grand Prix.
Hamilton “not the best”
For many years the F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has now opened up on the British driver’s struggles. Speaking with sport.de the 95 year old observes: “Everything is slipping away from him there. He wanted to become world champion there and is now surprised that he can’t do it.” Ecclestone also claimed that Hamilton is “one of the best of the last ten years, but not the best”.
Despite Toto Wolff describing Lewis as the greatest F1 driver of all time, his glory years at Mercedes were due to the team having spent $1bn in R&D on the all new V6 turbo hybrids, meaning they dominated the sport for eight consecutive seasons – winning an unprecedented eight constructor titles.
Further proof of the dominant Mercedes cars comes from the fact that despite entering just a third of the number of F1 races that Ferrari have entered now Mercedes top the percentages of 1-2’s to races entered. At a whopping 17.8% today, despite four years of lean pickings, they are 10% more than either Ferrari or Red Bull who have similar records of 7.78% and 7.51% respectively.
Baffling decisions at the top of Ferrari
Ecclestone labelled the brand merger between Ferrari and Hamilton as a “a financial marketing project,” suggesting that Hamilton ” will do more with fashion in the future.”
The once F1 chief also attacked the style of management. Ferrari boss Fred masseur brings and the fact the neither he nor Hamilton speak Italian. “The problem is: Ferrari needs a dictator at the top to be successful. They don’t speak Italian, but Ferrari. Everyone in Italy has a say there and interferes in what is right and what is wrong.”
Ferrari have been missing from the end of season honours trophies since 2008n when they last won the constructors’ title with Ecclestone’s replacement, Stefano Domenicali, at the helm in Maranello.
What is battling the tifosi and the Italian media is how Ferrari fell so far from grace so quickly. They had the best car over the closing six race weekends in 2024, closing the gap to the constructors leaders McLaren from 79 to just 14 points come the Abu Dhabi finale.
Formula One: FIA ‘serious cover up”
Italian media report Scuderia suspension change again
Fred Vasseur announced at last year’s festive bash in Maranello that the SF-25 would be a “completely new car” which raised eyebrows amongst the engineers across the paddock. The team switched from a push rod front suspension system to a pull rod configuration but have struggled all season long with ride height issues as evidenced by Lewis Hamilton being disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix.
Several upgrades to the suspension have been attempted and there is some light at the end of the tunnel with both Ferrari’s looking conceptive in qualifying last time out in Mexico. Yet the word from Italy’s Autoracer is the Ferrari will be switching suspension systems again for 2025, this time the rear of the car will revert to a push rod system in an effort to solve the teams many woes this season.
There are similarities to Hamilton’s 2009 F1 campaign with McLaren where after the Spanish Grand Prix his frustration boiled over. “What can I do? I drove my heart out, as I always do, it’s just that the car is not good,” he explained to the Standard. “I had no grip. It’s just a shame they [McLaren] haven’t given me a car to defend the championship with. It’s that bad because I’m driving the socks off it, yet there’s just no hope.
“I gave it 100% for the entire race, so ninth place doesn’t feel like the proper reward for the team who worked hard all weekend.”
Lewis’ last hope is 2026 F1 rule change
Hamilton may for the first time in his eighteen year F1 career go a complete season without claiming a podium. He is already on his most barren streak from taking part in the Sunday afternoon presentations and even starting P3 in Mexico saw him fade into anonymity coming hime just eighth almost minute off the pace, while his team mate was second.
Lewis Achilles heel has been in qualifying where his average start position is a dismal 8.38 whilst his team mate is 5.81. Hamilton will be hoping the big F1 car design reset in 2026, givers him something more of the type of race car he was dominating in during his Mercedes era.
Yet there’s no guarantee the rules reset will be the solution to Hamilton’s woes, given whilst ground effect is being reduced it will not be eliminated completely. Gone will be the maze of Venturi channels as the cars will revert to a flatter central floor section, yet the new large diffuser will continue to produce low pressure, generating downforce.
2026 will prove a decisive year for Lewis Hamilton, if Ferrari fail to get their act together he may well choose to retire and abandon his option of a seat with the team for 2027. Its Ferrari or bust now for Lewis having burned his bridges with Mercedes, there are no top seats available for him anymore and his F1 career could just fizzle out.
Max Verstappen changes tack on future team mate
Max Verstapppen is back in the hunt for his fifth consecutive Formula One drivers’ championship. The weather is set to favour the world champion in Brazil as a chaotic weekend of rain is once again forecast.
Last year saw the world champion start from 17th on the grid in Sao Paulo only to charge his way through the field to take the win, almost twenty seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
To claw back 36 points over the final four race weekends of the year is a big ask, but given his situation after his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort which saw him 104 points behind championship leader, Oscar Piastri, its game on for the Dutch driver….. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
