Jonas LeoFormer Formula 1 driver and esteemed pundit Martin Brundle has articulated a compelling perspective on Lewis Hamilton’s challenging adaptation to the Scuderia Ferrari, suggesting that the seven-time world champion’s current struggles may stem from the absence of his long-standing Mercedes support system. Hamilton, who made a monumental move to the Italian outfit ahead of the 2025 season after an illustrious 12-year tenure with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, has yet to find his footing, leading to speculation regarding the factors impeding his expected performance.
Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari was widely heralded as one of the most significant driver transfers in Formula 1 history, drawing parallels to Michael Schumacher’s iconic move to Maranello in 1996. During his time at Mercedes, Hamilton secured six of his seven World Drivers’ Championship titles, establishing himself as the most successful driver of the turbo-hybrid era (2014-2020) and amassing a remarkable 82 Grand Prix victories, 77 pole positions, and 60 fastest laps with the German constructor. This period of unprecedented dominance saw him become deeply integrated into the Mercedes operational fabric, fostering relationships with key personnel that spanned over a decade.
However, his initial phase with Ferrari has been marked by a noticeable dip in form. As of the current season, Hamilton has not secured a single Grand Prix podium, with his best finishes being fourth place at the Emilia Romagna, Austrian, British, and United States Grands Prix. While he did achieve a sprint race victory in China, this solitary success in the shorter format has not translated into consistent top-three finishes in the main events. This performance contrasts sharply with the expectations set by his legendary career and the high-profile nature of his transfer.
Brundle, speaking to Sky Sports F1, acknowledged the difficulty Hamilton is encountering. "It has probably been more difficult than Lewis hoped or thought it would be at Ferrari," Brundle stated, directly addressing the visible challenges. He then drew a crucial distinction with the historical precedent of Schumacher’s success at Ferrari. "He wanted to go there and do a Michael Schumacher. But Michael went with Ross Brawn, Jean Todt, Stefano Domenicali and the brilliance of the Ferrari team, and it still took a number of years to turn them around."
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This comparison underscores Brundle’s central argument: Schumacher’s transformative impact at Ferrari was not solely a product of his driving prowess but was significantly amplified by the strategic relocation of his trusted technical and management team from Benetton. Ross Brawn, as Technical Director, and Rory Byrne, as Chief Designer, were instrumental in building the formidable Ferrari machine that would dominate the early 2000s. Jean Todt, already at Ferrari, completed this triumvirate, establishing a cohesive and highly effective leadership structure that provided Schumacher with unparalleled support and stability. Critically, even with this exceptional team in place, it took four years for Schumacher to clinch his first World Championship with Ferrari in 2000, illustrating that success at Maranello is a marathon, not a sprint, and often requires a bespoke support system.
Brundle elaborated on how this principle might apply to Hamilton. He specifically highlighted Hamilton’s long-standing race engineer, Peter Bonnington, affectionately known as "Bono," as an example of the kind of foundational support that Hamilton might be missing. The relationship between a driver and their race engineer is symbiotic, built on years of shared experiences, mutual understanding, and an almost telepathic communication style developed through countless hours of testing, practice, and competition. This deep rapport allows for instantaneous feedback and adjustments, which are critical in the high-pressure environment of Formula 1.
"I think Lewis needed more people around him," Brundle asserted, expanding on the idea that Hamilton’s previous environment at Mercedes offered an extensive, almost invisible, layer of support. "He was so embedded at Mercedes, he probably had 101 things around him every day that he probably didn’t even notice – the infrastructure, the focus. It would have been great had Bono and some others gone with him." This perspective suggests that Hamilton’s transition is not merely about adapting to a new car or team strategy but also to an entirely new ecosystem where the familiar faces, processes, and subtle cues that once formed his comfort zone are no longer present. The "infrastructure" and "focus" that Mercedes provided were built around Hamilton’s preferences and requirements over more than a decade, a level of bespoke support that takes considerable time and effort to replicate in a new team.
Jamie Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion and fellow Sky Sports F1 broadcaster, echoed Brundle’s sentiments, emphasizing the cultural aspect of Hamilton’s move. "He has still got it, but across a whole season this year it hasn’t gelled, hasn’t clicked," Chadwick commented, acknowledging Hamilton’s inherent talent. She pinpointed "culture" as a significant factor: "I think a lot of that is the culture, it has been a huge adaptation [at Ferrari]." The cultural distinctions between a German-British operation like Mercedes and the quintessentially Italian Scuderia Ferrari are profound, encompassing language, communication styles, organizational hierarchies, and even the approach to problem-solving. These subtle yet pervasive differences can significantly impact a driver’s ability to feel fully integrated and perform optimally.
Ferrari, while a team of immense heritage and global appeal, has faced its own set of challenges in recent decades. The team last secured a World Drivers’ Championship in 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen and a Constructors’ Championship in 2008. Since then, despite flashes of brilliance and several promising seasons, they have been unable to sustain a consistent challenge for titles against dominant rivals like Red Bull and Mercedes. The team has seen multiple changes in leadership and technical structure, with Frédéric Vasseur currently at the helm as Team Principal and General Manager. Ferrari currently occupies second place in the Constructors’ standings in 2024, with Charles Leclerc securing a notable victory in Monaco and Carlos Sainz winning in Australia, showcasing the car’s potential on certain tracks. However, consistency and overall championship contention remain areas of ongoing development.
Hamilton’s performance relative to his teammate, Charles Leclerc, further illustrates his adaptation challenges. Leclerc, deeply ingrained in the Ferrari environment and often seen as the future of the Scuderia, has demonstrated strong performances, including a recent victory, underscoring the car’s capabilities when driven by a driver fully in tune with its characteristics and the team’s operational rhythm. For Hamilton, whose unparalleled success was built on a finely tuned symbiotic relationship with his previous team, the process of forging a new one with Ferrari’s engineers, strategists, and mechanics is a monumental undertaking. The contractual complexities and "gardening leave" clauses common in Formula 1 often prevent key personnel from immediately following a driver to a rival team, further exacerbating this challenge.
Looking ahead, Hamilton’s multi-year contract with Ferrari means that the current season is but the initial phase of his Maranello journey. The looming regulatory changes in 2026, which will introduce new power unit and chassis regulations, present a potential reset for all teams on the grid. This future landscape could offer Hamilton a fresh opportunity to fully integrate and exert his influence on Ferrari’s car development from the ground up, mirroring, perhaps, a more direct involvement akin to Schumacher’s long-term project. Chadwick concluded her assessment with a note of optimism, stating, "If performance is there, he might get a new lease of life. Given the right material, I don’t doubt he can perform in the environment." This sentiment acknowledges that while the current adaptation is proving difficult, Hamilton’s fundamental talent remains unquestionable, and with the right combination of machinery and sustained support, his ambition to deliver a championship to Maranello is far from extinguished.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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