Hamilton's Ferrari Debut Slammed as 'Embarrassing' Struggle

Hamilton’s Ferrari Debut Slammed as ‘Embarrassing’ Struggle

Lewis Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari has encountered significant challenges in the opening races of the 2025 Formula 1 season, drawing scrutiny from both fans and analysts. The seven-time world champion’s debut with the Scuderia has been marked by underwhelming performances and regulatory setbacks.

At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton secured a 10th-place finish after qualifying eighth, trailing his teammate Charles Leclerc in both sessions. This result led former Ferrari general manager Peter Windsor to describe Hamilton’s performance as “an embarrassment.” Windsor highlighted Hamilton’s struggles in overtaking Williams driver Alex Albon, noting that despite receiving strategic guidance from the team, Hamilton was unable to execute the pass effectively. He remarked, “For a Ferrari driver in his first grand prix to be beaten by an inferior car, I think, is a bit of an embarrassment.”

The situation worsened during the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Initially, Hamilton appeared to regain form by winning the sprint race earlier in the weekend. However, both Hamilton and Leclerc faced disqualification from the main race due to technical infringements. Post-race inspections revealed that Leclerc’s car was underweight by 1 kilogram, while Hamilton’s vehicle exhibited excessive skid block wear, violating FIA regulations.

Ferrari promptly acknowledged these infractions, attributing them to genuine errors without offering mitigating circumstances. The team admitted to miscalculating the wear on Hamilton’s car and failing to anticipate the impact of an unexpected switch to a one-stop strategy for Leclerc, leading to non-compliance with technical standards. Ferrari emphasized their commitment to learning from these mistakes to prevent future occurrences.

These disqualifications resulted in a significant loss of points for Ferrari, erasing the 18 points they would have earned from the fifth and sixth-place finishes of Leclerc and Hamilton, respectively. Consequently, Ferrari’s standing in the Constructors’ Championship suffered, placing them fourth after two races, tied with Williams.

Hamilton’s personal standings have also been impacted. After two races, he has secured only one point, placing him 35 points behind championship leader Lando Norris of McLaren. This points deficit underscores the pressure on Hamilton to deliver results that justify Ferrari’s decision to replace the in-form Carlos Sainz with him.

Despite these setbacks, Hamilton remains optimistic about the season ahead. Reflecting on the Australian Grand Prix, he acknowledged the disappointing outcome but emphasized the early stage of the championship. “It has been only one race. Of course, even for me, that’s not the result that I was hoping for,” Hamilton stated. He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to address the issues and improve performance in upcoming races.

As the season progresses, both Hamilton and Ferrari face the challenge of overcoming these early hurdles to compete effectively in the championship. The team’s ability to rectify technical issues and strategize effectively will be crucial in determining their success in the highly competitive Formula 1 landscape.