Italian media call for instant Lewis Hamilton change as British GP blunders cost Ferrari

The Italian media have delivered a divided verdict on Lewis Hamilton's performance at Silverstone this weekend after the F1 champion failed to step on the podium for the first time since 2013.

While Ferrari offered a glimpse of competitiveness on Friday and Saturday, Hamilton was ultimately unable to challenge for a podium during the closing stages of the British Grand Prix.

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Both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complained after the race how difficult it was to handle the car in the slippery conditions, and the Italian media have also responded to the disappointment at Silverstone.

La Gazzetta dello Sport supported Hamilton after Silverstone, calling for Ferrari to instantly change their approach and listen to the seven-time champion.

"Hiring Lewis – who has won seven Drivers' World Championships since 2008 while Ferrari has brought home zero in the meantime – means accepting, and therefore marrying, his vision of the job and the car," wrote Italian journalist Gianluca Gasparini.

"Those who want everything right away, and don't know how F1 works, consider his difficulties with a single-seater that is too inconsistent in its behaviour as a consequence of a decline of the champion of the past.

"But what the Englishman has been preaching for a while – since he framed the situation in Maranello – is a change of philosophy, a less extreme future project, with a good load base capable of making life easier for the drivers."

Italian media split over Hamilton's Silverstone performance

Meanwhile, Sky Sports Italia's assessment of Hamilton's performance at Silverstone was far from favourable, and blamed his P4 result on his own 'blunders'.

"Silverstone is his home and it shows a bit but the podium, thanks to his blunders, fades away," they wrote.

Despite Ferrari's pace deficit to Sauber over the course of the 2025 season, Hamilton once again failed to catch Nico Hulkenberg, losing the final podium position to the German, who claimed his first top-three finish on Sunday.

The shock result has now raised doubts for some over Hamilton's racing abilities, even prompting criticism from British media.

The 40-year-old was also unable to control his Ferrari when he switched to the soft tyre at the end of the race, with the champion veering off the track during the closing stages of the race.

However, this was not an issue exclusive to Hamilton, with Leclerc also suffering a costly off that resulted in a P14 finish for the 27-year-old.

The Monegasque driver's race was undone when he made an early pit stop after the formation lap to change to slick tyres, which turned out to be the wrong decision with the track still wet and slippery following an early downpour at Silverstone.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton gets Ferrari boost as team promoted THREE places after Silverstone heroics

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