Trouble in Maranello: Hamilton and Ferrari’s Strained Relationship…read more

Lewis Hamilton’s much-hyped move to Ferrari was meant to mark a glorious new chapter in his Formula 1 career. But just a few months in, the honeymoon appears to be over. The British seven-time world champion is finding it hard to adapt to life at Maranello, and Italian media isn’t holding back in its criticism.

Hamilton, who joined Ferrari with hopes of rekindling his championship-winning form, currently sits in a disappointing seventh place in the drivers’ standings. With only 41 points to his name, he trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by a staggering 90 points. The anticipated dream partnership between Hamilton and Ferrari has yet to deliver results on track, and tensions are beginning to surface.

Last Sunday’s race in Miami served as a fresh reminder of how far things are from ideal. Throughout the race, Hamilton was heard repeatedly questioning team strategy over the radio, highlighting growing frustration. His exchanges with race engineer Riccardo Adami were terse, and at times even sarcastic — raising eyebrows among fans and pundits alike.

Italian media, always passionate and brutally honest when it comes to Ferrari, has likened the current situation to a failing relationship. Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica summed up the mood with a headline that read, “Hamilton and Ferrari, couple therapy for the feeling that isn’t there.”

According to the report, the issue isn’t necessarily poor communication between driver and team — rather, it’s a lack of chemistry. “We are not at a lack of communication between the pair, nor at Kramer vs. Kramer,” it states, “but between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari it is a question of feeling: which is not there yet.”

The SF-25, Ferrari’s 2025 challenger, has proven difficult to tame, and even more so for a driver of Hamilton’s style. His frustrations with the car have been growing, and he reportedly quipped, “I would need a brain transplant to understand it.” It’s a far cry from his dominant Mercedes years, where car and driver worked in perfect harmony.

A focal point of the friction appears to be Hamilton’s working relationship with engineer Riccardo Adami. The understanding between the two is described as “elusive,” with La Repubblica noting the presence of tension rather than teamwork. These early struggles suggest that the driver-engineer partnership, so crucial in F1, is still a work in progress.

While the tone of the coverage is critical, it’s not yet declaring the Hamilton-Ferrari experiment a failure. “It’s not a crisis, but it’s not a couple yet,” writes journalist Alessandra Retico, emphasizing that there’s still time to turn things around. But with the next race at Imola — Ferrari’s home turf — fast approaching, the pressure is on.

Hamilton and Ferrari may not need a breakup, but some metaphorical couple’s therapy might be in order. The talent is undeniable, the potential is immense, but unless the relationship begins to click, the dream could remain just that — a dream.

All eyes now turn to Imola, where both Hamilton and Ferrari have a chance to prove the doubters wrong, and finally spark the connection fans have been waiting for.