Button believes that Hamilton's calm demeanour has started to 'hurt him' at Ferrari

11:01, 10 May 2025

I am a passionate and knowledgeable Formula 1 fan who has watched the sport since age five, watching every single race. Having karted competitively throughout my teens, I understand what it takes to be a racing driver, and every aspect of motorsports fascinates me. I am now studying sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire with the hopes of one day landing a dream role in motorsport. As well as English, I speak Spanish fluently after living there for some time when I was younger.

Former World Champion Jenson Button has observed a noticeable change in Lewis Hamilton since their days together at McLaren. Button says Hamilton has become more composed over the years—but that calmer attitude may now be holding him back, as he's consistently being outperformed by his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc.

Button Sees a ‘Changed’ Hamilton

Following the qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, Button spoke to Sky Sports F1 about the difference between Hamilton in his McLaren days and now. “Lewis is a different character now than he was when we were teammates,” he said. “If he was deflated, the next day he was out and on it and super fast. Now, he’s much more of a calm personality, he’s much more of a rounded character.”

Although such a calmer approach may work well for some drivers, Button thinks it is actually working against Hamilton – especially now that he is consistently slower than his teammate at Ferrari. “I think it is starting to hurt him a little bit, constantly being slower than his teammate,” he said. “That’s not how Lewis Hamilton is built. He’s a winner.”

Hamilton pictured in a post-session press conference in Miami

After the Formula 1 race in Miami, Ferrari's team radio communications sparked plenty of debate. Both drivers voiced frustration over how the team handled their strategy—particularly the late call to swap positions while Hamilton, on fresher tyres, was pressuring Leclerc from behind. Eventually, Hamilton was told to return the position, adding to the confusion and dissatisfaction within the team.

Hamilton’s frustration came through loud and clear over the radio, with a series of sarcastic remarks aimed at the team. At one point, he joked about having a tea party, and later, when told Carlos Sainz was closing in, he quipped whether he should let the Williams driver through as well.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli Kimi Antonelli	MercedesMER	131
2	George Russell George Russell	MercedesMER	88
3	Charles Leclerc Charles Leclerc	FerrariFER	75
4	Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton	FerrariFER	72
5	Lando Norris Lando Norris	McLarenMCL	58
6	Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri	McLarenMCL	48
7	Max Verstappen Max Verstappen	Red Bull RacingRBR	43
8	Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly	AlpineALP	20
9	Oliver Bearman Oliver Bearman	HaasHAA	18
10	Liam Lawson Liam Lawson	Racing BullsRCB	16
11	Franco Colapinto Franco Colapinto	AlpineALP	15
12	Isack Hadjar Isack Hadjar	Red Bull RacingRBR	14
13	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz	WilliamsWIL	6
14	Arvid Lindblad Arvid Lindblad	Racing BullsRCB	5
15	Gabriel Bortoleto Gabriel Bortoleto	AudiAUD	2
16	Esteban Ocon Esteban Ocon	HaasHAA	1
17	Alexander Albon Alexander Albon	WilliamsWIL	1
18	Nico Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg	AudiAUD	0
19	Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Bottas	CadillacCAD	0
20	Sergio Perez Sergio Perez	CadillacCAD	0
21	Lance Stroll Lance Stroll	Aston MartinAST	0
22	Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso	Aston MartinAST	0

Button believes that Hamilton's calm demeanour has started to 'hurt him' at Ferrari

Button Sees a ‘Changed’ Hamilton

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