Breaking: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari blame assigned as Lando Norris C…read more
Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Struggles Revisited as Lando Norris Reveals Late-Season Fears
Lewis Hamilton’s difficult first season with Ferrari continues to spark debate across the Formula 1 paddock, with fresh insight now shifting some of the responsibility away from the seven-time world champion himself. As questions swirl around Hamilton’s winless campaign in red, a respected former Ferrari engineer has suggested the issues ran far deeper than the driver’s performance alone.
Hamilton endured a frustrating year following his blockbuster move from Mercedes to Maranello, failing to secure a single grand prix podium and eventually finishing a distant sixth in the drivers’ standings. Expectations had been sky-high when Ferrari announced his arrival, but the partnership never truly ignited, leaving fans and pundits alike searching for answers.
Now, Luigi Mazzola — a former Ferrari race engineer who worked closely with Michael Schumacher during the team’s most dominant era — has offered a more nuanced verdict. Speaking candidly about Hamilton’s struggles, Mazzola made it clear that blaming the Brit alone would be overly simplistic.
According to Mazzola, Ferrari’s broader operational and technical shortcomings played a significant role in the disappointing campaign. He pointed to inconsistencies in car development, strategic missteps, and a lack of adaptability throughout the season as key factors that limited Hamilton’s ability to extract performance. While acknowledging that Hamilton faced a steep learning curve adapting to a new team environment, Mazzola emphasized that even a driver of Hamilton’s calibre can only do so much when the package underneath him is not operating at its peak.
The comments have reignited debate over Ferrari’s long-standing structural challenges, with critics arguing that the team’s inability to fully support elite drivers has now affected multiple champions across different eras.
While Hamilton looks ahead to a crucial rebound season, attention elsewhere in the paddock has shifted to the sport’s newest champion — Lando Norris — who has revealed just how tense his title-winning finale truly was.
Norris, who secured his maiden drivers’ championship with McLaren in dramatic fashion at the conclusion of the 2025 season, has shared previously unseen footage documenting his mental state during the closing laps of the finale. Despite appearing calm and composed on the outside, the Brit admitted that anxiety crept in as the championship hung by a thread.
Reflecting on those final moments, Norris described an almost surreal sensation as the laps ticked down. With victory within touching distance, his focus intensified — but so did his fears. He confessed that every unfamiliar noise or vibration sparked concern, as the possibility of a late mechanical failure loomed large.
“It felt like any other race day at first,” Norris explained. “But once there were only a couple of laps left, everything slowed down. You start thinking about every tiny detail — every bolt, every screw, every wire holding the car together.”
The 26-year-old revealed that his mind raced through every component of the McLaren, visualising how each system worked and hoping none would betray him at the worst possible moment. The pressure of carrying an entire championship on a single car became impossible to ignore.
Despite those fears, Norris kept his composure, guiding the car safely to the chequered flag and sealing a historic moment for both himself and McLaren. His admission offered a rare glimpse into the psychological strain faced by drivers at the sharpest end of the sport, even when everything appears under control.
As Formula 1 heads into a new season, the contrast between Hamilton’s Ferrari frustrations and Norris’ breakthrough triumph highlights the fine margins that define success at the highest level. One driver searches for answers within a legendary but turbulent team, while another reflects on the fragile machinery that carried him to glory — reminding everyone that in F1, greatness is never guaranteed, and nothing can be taken for granted until the final lap is complete.
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