Ferrari F1 ABSENCE hurting team amid Lewis Hamilton struggles

Ferrari

Ferrari ABSENCE hurting team amid Lewis Hamilton struggles

Ferrari's performance has dropped off in 2025

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 20 May 2025 12:57

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Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Ferrari have been attributed to the absence of a key leader at the team by Italian race engineer Giorgio Stirano.

Stirano previously worked for Forti and Osella in Formula 1, and has recently provided his technical perspective into why Ferrari have struggled so far in 2025.

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The Scuderia have been unable to emulate the pace of McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull who often find themselves fighting at the front, with their best result this season a sprint race win in China for Lewis Hamilton.

The 40-year-old Brit was able to produce a stunning comeback at last weekend's Imola GP, finishing fourth having started 12th, but that remains his only top-four finish in a full-length race this season.

Speaking to Tuttosport, Stirano criticised the technical organisation of Ferrari, and stated that they lacked the right individual in the position of technical director.

"When you decide to start with a new project, you must have very clear ideas about what objectives to achieve," Stirano said.

"Vasseur declared that this year's car has retained very few components from the previous one. However, it is not enough to change the components, you need to have a very precise technical directive.

"From what we know, on the technical organisation of the Scuderia, which relies on a very broad base, in line with the other teams, there are two top technical responsibilities: Loic Serra for the chassis and Enrico Gualtieri for the engines."

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McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes all have experienced people in the position of technical director, with Rob Marshall heralded as a key team member who has helped return McLaren to championship success.

Pierre Wache and James Allison serve in the role at Red Bull and Mercedes respectively, but Ferrari do not have a clear technical director.

"There is no news on who occupies the position of technical director, that is, the one who manages the overall responsibility of the project by mediating the chassis needs with those of the engine," Stirano continued.

"I therefore assume that the current technical responsibility is equally in the hands of Fred Vasseur. Of whom we know a good experience in managing teams, but no real experience in designing a Formula 1 vehicle. And this for me is objectively a weak point."

The signing of seven-time world champion Hamilton was supposed to transform the Scuderia into a championship-winning outfit once again, but the Brit currently sits down in sixth in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari are a lowly fourth in the constructors' standings.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula 1