LEWIS HAMILTON'S MISERY IS FERRARI'S LOUDEST WARNING: IGNORING IT IS COSTLY
Lewis Hamilton calls 2025 his "worst season ever" after a P10 finish in Las Vegas. His stark comments reveal deep frustration with Ferrari's performance, raising major concerns for the team ahead of the pivotal 2026 regulation changes.
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Watching Lewis Hamilton struggle is tough, and it makes you wonder how long this can go on.
Having seen most of his 105 F1 wins, it's hard to believe things are this bad.
Moving to Ferrari was always going to take time. Michael Schumacher had a similar experience when he went from Benetton to Ferrari in 1996. He had to adjust to the team before winning the title in 2000.
Still, Schumacher's results weren't as bad as Hamilton's are now. After finishing 10th in Las Vegas (initially 19th but moved to 10th after two disqualifications), Hamilton said, I feel terrible. This has been the worst season ever, and it keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try.”
He also told the BBC, It's a terrible result. There's nothing good to take away from today. I want it to be over; I'm looking forward to it being over. I'm not looking forward to the next one. When asked if he meant the next race in Qatar, he said, Next season.
His brief comments should worry Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who had told his drivers not to talk too much about the team's problems.
Elkann is probably concerned about Ferrari's falling share price, which is affecting the company's plans. He would be wise to listen to the seven-time F1 champion.
Instead of telling them to stay quiet, maybe he should listen to their feedback on what's going wrong. Hamilton's poor result in Vegas was likely due to his bad qualifying session, where he seemed to think the light at the finishing line was red, stopping him from doing another fast lap.
TV replays showed that it was probably his mistake. His teammate Charles Leclerc was also critical, saying, It's not a good result; P6 is very disappointing. But it was probably the best race of the season for me personally. I felt like I didn't make many mistakes in all the laps and qualifying laps, so I'm happy with my own performance, but P6 is frustrating.”
These are worrying times for Ferrari. Despite Elkann's support for team principal Fred Vasseur, the results have been poor. And this is when the rules have stayed the same, so they should have a good understanding of their F1 car.
This doesn't look good for 2026, when the sport will have its biggest rule changes ever, with new engine and chassis regulations. Ferrari can't afford to fall behind.
Hamilton's honesty, his desire for the season to end, isn't just a driver struggling. It's a champion facing a crisis in a new, tough situation. Elkann and Ferrari can't just ignore these concerns as emotional outbursts. They're a plea from a seven-time world champion for things to change.
The question isn't how long Hamilton can put up with this, but how much longer Ferrari can ignore the truth he's telling. The countdown to 2026 has started.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
