Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 Struggles: “Unbelievably Tricky” Car

Lewis Hamilton appeared disheartened after several Formula 1 races this year, a sentiment echoed after the British Grand Prix.

The Ferrari racer achieved his best result of the season thus far with a fourth-place finish, concluding a sequence of four races where he was outpaced by teammate Charles Leclerc, despite surpassing the Monegasque in qualifying for the third instance in four events.

Despite seeming more at ease behind the wheel of the SF-25 on a damp Silverstone track, where he has previously triumphed on nine occasions – more than any other driver at any other track – Hamilton expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of his vehicle.

“It’s the trickiest car I’ve operated here in recent memory,” the seven-time world champion stated post-race.

“I found it challenging to maintain pace. The tyres experienced significant degradation. The car proved incredibly difficult to manage.

“Ultimately, I gained substantial insights today. This marks only my second experience driving in wet conditions with this particular car. It’s hard to articulate how demanding it truly is.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images

“It’s not a car that handles those conditions favourably. Nevertheless, possessing extensive data from this… I’m eager to engage with the individuals responsible for designing this year’s car, as it incorporates unique elements not found elsewhere.”

Hamilton further mentioned that conditions didn’t improve even as the track began to dry towards the race’s conclusion: “Even then, I exceeded track limits. Therefore, many errors occurred today.”

Having passed the halfway mark of the 2025 season with 12 races completed, the British driver characterized his performance thus far as “not remarkably poor” due to “finishing every race”, although none resulted in a podium finish.

“Qualifying appeared more promising yesterday, and I believe we’re progressively improving,” Hamilton noted, having been in contention for pole position at Silverstone before a mistake in the final sector of Q3 relegated him to fifth, two tenths off pole and one tenth from second position.

Regarding his aspirations for the remainder of the season with Ferrari, Hamilton specified: “Ideally, a consistent balance. A car that exhibits responsiveness at lower speeds. Enhanced stability.

“However, we demonstrated considerable potential throughout this weekend. Our practice sessions consistently placed us at the forefront. Yet, we still struggle to fully capitalize during qualifying, and the race presents increased challenges.”

Amidst his recent difficulties, Hamilton occupies sixth place in the world championship standings with 103 points – 16 fewer than Leclerc – while Ferrari holds the second position in the constructors’ standings, partially attributable to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s subdued debut season at Mercedes and the Red Bull’s second car having accumulated only seven points in total this year.