Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari difficulties dissected by F1 insider

18:00, 26 Dec

bySamson Ero

Ted Kravitz has pointed fingers at Lewis Hamilton’s approach after his challenging debut season at Scuderia Ferrari.

“He thought he could bring the expertise he had from his time at Mercedes.”

- Ted Kravitz

Speaking on the Sky F1 show, the pit lane reporter highlighted how Hamilton had envisaged he would translate his expertise from the Mercedes team seamlessly into Ferrari.

Kravitz also highlighted Hamilton’s belief that he had the full backing of Ferrari chairman John Elkann and team principal Fred Vasseur, a perception that appeared to shift later in the season.

“He thought he could bring the expertise he had from his time at Mercedes — however many years it was, 10 years — and the years before that at McLaren, and then change just a few things to bring Ferrari back into the winner’s circle consistently,” Kravitz began.

Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi - Photo: Ferrari media

“He believed he had two people in John Elkann and Fred Vasseur who backed him completely. That changed in late September or October, when Elkann made his comments, and now he goes into the winter thinking, ‘OK, if I can just get some things improved, then at least I’ve got maybe a chance of some success,’” he added.

According to Kravitz, the length of contract Ferrari offered was another major incentive behind Hamilton’s move from Mercedes.

“But bear in mind, he went to Ferrari because they were offering a longer-term deal than Mercedes, weren’t they, and the promise that he might actually be able to win some races.”

Kravitz concluded by expressing his belief that Hamilton will remain at Ferrari, with his focus firmly on a stronger 2026 campaign.

“So I think he will stay on. I think he will hope for 2026, but he went to Ferrari wanting to win and wanting to be as quick as, or quicker than, Leclerc.”

Hamilton endured a challenging debut season at the Ferrari outfit, failing to record a top-three finish throughout the campaign. The final stretch of the season further witnessed his struggles deepen, as he failed to advance past the first round of qualifying in the final three races of the season.

Steiner believes Ferrari can rekindle Hamilton’s competitiveness

Former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner earlier hinted that the Ferrari team can rekindle Hamilton’s competitiveness with the car it delivers in 2026.

The 60-year-old stressed the need for the Italian outfit to deliver a competitive car or risk Hamilton retiring.

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