Just In: Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton warned “you L…read more
Ex-World Champion says Hamilton must reignite his spark or risk losing Ferrari’s trust
Jacques Villeneuve has warned Lewis Hamilton that his slow start with Ferrari could damage his credibility within the team, suggesting the Scuderia may begin to lose faith if performances don’t improve soon.
Hamilton’s much-anticipated move to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season has yet to deliver results. After six races, the team has managed just one podium finish and finds itself trailing McLaren by more than 150 points in the constructors’ standings. The Briton has also been consistently outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc.
While Hamilton has shown glimpses of speed notably winning the sprint in China and finishing third in Miami’s sprint event his overall form has raised concerns. Following a disappointing weekend in Saudi Arabia, Hamilton acknowledged that this season could turn out to be “painful.”
Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, believes such comments risk damaging Hamilton’s standing within the team.
“You can hear it — Lewis isn’t happy,” Villeneuve told Vision4Sport. “Leclerc is stepping up, and Lewis is apologizing over the radio. That’s when credibility starts to slip. Once that happens, people stop believing in you they think you’re just along for the ride.”
He added that Ferrari’s unique culture demands energy, passion, and momentum — and warned that Hamilton’s current tone may not be a good fit.
“Ferrari is like a volcano they need sparks, they need fire. That’s what drives the team. At Mercedes, Lewis had time to get comfortable. Not at Ferrari. You have to be on it straight away.”
Villeneuve noted that while Hamilton’s sprint win in China showed promise, it failed to ignite a broader turnaround.
“There was a spark in China, but no fire after that,” he said. “At Ferrari, you need dry grass around for the fire to catch. Right now, it’s not happening.”
Part of Hamilton’s struggle is due to the car itself. In Miami, Ferrari were off the pace, with Williams’ Alex Albon finishing fifth ahead of both Ferraris. That performance gap is surprising for a team that nearly clinched the 2024 title.
Still, Villeneuve believes Hamilton’s response to upcoming races in Europe will be telling, especially with Ferrari set to introduce upgrades.
“The whole idea of joining Ferrari was to bring in new energy,” he said. “Not to carry over the mindset from Mercedes — that things would fall into place because of who he is.”
“They’ve barely had time to breathe this season, and Lewis seems at a loss. But let’s wait for Monaco. That will be the real test.
