Lewis Hamilton F1 News: Ferrari star 'struggling to integrate' at team

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Belgium, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Lewis Hamilton 'struggling to integrate' at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's first year at Ferrari has got off to a weak start

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Thursday 31 July 2025 08:14

Pirelli's vice president Marco Tronchetti Provera has claimed Lewis Hamilton is showing signs of struggles in settling in at Ferrari.

The British F1 star has endured an underwhelming first year at Maranello having hoped to be challenging for a record breaking eighth world championship.

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Instead, the 40-year-old has been largely off the pace of team-mate Charles Leclerc and is still searching for his first grand prix podium with the team after 13 races having now endured his longest ever streak without a top three finish going back to last season's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Hamilton has shown flashes of brilliance and even picked up the fan's Driver of the Day award at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend after a strong drive from a pit-lane start to finish seventh at Spa.

However, Provera insists Hamilton is showing signs of not being able to gel with his new Ferrari team who he joined this year following 12 highly successful years at Mercedes.

According to Radio Rai Gr Parlamento's La Politica nel Pallone program, via Corriere Della Sera, Provera said: "Hamilton? We all know he's a great driver. We need to understand how he's integrating with the team, and how he's doing. It's his commitment that counts. He's a phenomenal driver, but he's struggling to integrate at Ferrari.

"He's won everything a driver can win. Perhaps the mechanism hasn't kicked in to see Ferrari as an opportunity to crown an extraordinary career. So far, his performances have certainly not been stellar."

Lewis Hamilton has been put in the shade by Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc

McLaren and Max Verstappen remain F1 top dogs

While the Pirelli chief was down about Hamilton's overall performance he did admit there were mitigating circumstances towards his disappointing start in Ferrari red, citing McLaren's dominance and the evergreen threat of four-time and current world champion Max Verstappen.

"It confirms the greater competitiveness of the McLarens . They have an advantage over everyone. The good surprise is Ferrari's return to the top and this is the best news in Formula 1.

"Then we have Verstappen who works miracles but Leclerc was better . We're heading towards Monza (on September 7) with a Red that is increasingly competitive. The hope is that everyone does well, because if Ferrari returns to the top it's good news for everyone."

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