F1 champ Lewis Hamilton opens up on challenging Ferrari

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Montreal, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 champ Lewis Hamilton opens up on challenging Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has made a disappointing start to life at Ferrari

By Sam Cook.

Saturday 21 June 2025 19:00

Lewis Hamilton has opened up on the ways that he's trying to change the way Ferrari run their F1 team.

The seven-time world champion joined the historic Italian team in January, but has failed to secure a single podium finish in a grand prix.

The 40-year-old is also sat 25 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the drivers' championship, down in sixth after a series of disappointing results.

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The issues with Ferrari's SF-25 challenger has not helped either driver, and Hamilton has now suggested how he has been trying to change the way in which the team operate, having been with Mercedes for 12 seasons prior to his move.

"I'm trying to challenge the guys," Hamilton told media after the Canadian Grand Prix. "I'm constantly fighting with the engineers, asking them questions. They set things up in a certain way and say 'we've always done it this way.' And I say to them: 'What if we tried this instead?'"

Hamilton's Ferrari frustrations mount

On top of this, Hamilton has expressed frustration over team radio during race weekends, mainly aimed at new race engineer Riccardo Adami.

Team orders have had to be implemented between Leclerc and Hamilton on a few occasions already in 2025, with Hamilton's poor race pace on show in a number of events.

However, the seven-time champion has been consistent in his performances, picking up regular top six finishes, and has now outqualified Leclerc at the last two race weekends.

He knows he needs to give his new team more than that, however, with the outfit hoping to challenge for their first F1 championship of any kind since 2008.

Hamilton will be hoping in the remainder of 2025 that he is able to show that he is still able to compete with the likes of Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for podiums and race victories, but will know that both he and the team need to be heading in the right direction with their performance ahead of the all-important 2026 season.

Ferrari Mercedes Canadian Grand Prix Nico Rosberg Riccardo Adami