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.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
