F1 2025: Lewis Hamilton 'not enjoying' Ferrari after poor start

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton 'not enjoying' Ferrari after poor start

George Russell has been speaking about his former team-mate

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 11 May 2025 20:58

Lewis Hamilton's former team-mate has suggested that the Ferrari man isn't enjoying his time with the Maranello-based outfit, as he scrambles around for top-six finishes.

Hamilton moved to Ferrari from Mercedes back in January, and was hoping to be able to challenge for an eighth world title with the team in 2025, but sits down in seventh in the drivers' championship after a poor start, and is already 90 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

His old Mercedes team, however, have already secured four podiums in 2025, with Hamilton's former team-mate Russell claiming all of those and sat up in fourth in the drivers' championship.

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Mercedes are also second in the constructors' championship, appearing to be McLaren's closest challengers despite it being Ferrari who finished just 11 points behind the eventual champions in 2024.

Russell recently suggested that this poor start to the season for Hamilton and Ferrari may just be wearing on his former team-mate, expressing sympathy with the seven-time champion.

"He’s a champion, he’s a winner, and he’s in a position where he can’t achieve that," Russell told media ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. "And it’s not easy to accept.

"If he was beaming with a big smile, you’d be questioning why he’s beaming with a big smile.

"I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It’s not nice to see somebody who’s not enjoying it.

"But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it’s not about the money, it’s about the results. And it’s not clicking for him at the moment, but I’m sure it will click at one point."

Hamilton's Ferrari woes

While the lack of performance in Ferrari's SF-25 has been clear for all to see, the worrying thing for Hamilton will be his performance compared to new team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The 40-year-old has been outqualified by Leclerc in five out of six main race qualifying sessions, and sits 12 points behind the Monegasque driver in the standings.

This follows a 2024 season in which Hamilton was outclassed by Russell at Mercedes, with two race victories glossing over what was a pretty poor final year with the team.

German legend Ralf Schumacher recently suggested that Hamilton could quit Ferrari before his contract is over, with Russell's comments about the champion not enjoying himself adding more fuel to that particular fire.

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