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Former Mercedes strategist James Vowles feels that one of the reasons why Lewis Hamilton is currently struggling at Ferrari is that he needs a few elements from the car to feel 'strength'. Vowles also claimed that Hamilton will be performing at the same level as Charles Leclerc if he gets hold of those elements.
The seven-time F1 champion shocked the world last season when he announced that he would be leaving Mercedes by the end of the year and moving to Ferrari. The decision was a shocker, as the driver had been a part of the team since 2013. Lewis Hamilton joined the Italian team at the start of this season, and there were very high expectations from the partnership.
The season has not gone as well as the driver would have hoped. On one side, the car is not as good as many would have hoped. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton has struggled to keep up with Charles Leclerc. The Brit has finished ahead of his new teammate only once in a Grand Prix event, and it was a race where Leclerc was heavily compromised due to strategy.
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The question of Lewis Hamilton's struggles was put to his former aide at Mercedes, James Vowles, during the pre-race press conference ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. Now a team principal at Williams, Vowles revealed that there are a few elements that the 7x F1 champion relies on to gain confidence in the car. He said:
“Lewis has some elements he needs from a car to feel strength from it, and then it’s a confidence build from him that he then is able to generate from then onwards. And I can see it in what’s going on. He hasn’t quite got that yet."
He added:
“But I have zero doubt that he will be on the pace and there. And you can see at times where he is confident, he and Charles are like this [used fingers to signal a small gap]."
James Vowles feels Lewis Hamilton's pace in Miami is a good example
In the same press conference, Williams' boss also pointed to Lewis Hamilton's pace at Miami compared to Charles Leclerc as a good example of what the driver was capable of. In the main race, the Brit was on softer tires compared to his teammate and was hanging on to him quite comfortably despite starting from 12th place on the grid.
There was even a moment where he was pleading with Ferrari that he should be let through Leclerc so that he could attack Kimi Antonelli ahead. Vowles said,
“Miami is a good example, he was pushing Charles ahead of him. It’s just not consistently there, weekend on weekend, but when you’re in this, and you can see it with Carlos, you can see with anyone that’s adapting to these cars and changing, there’s so much to keep on top of and learn as a result of it. It’s all possible. It’s all adaption.”
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that the 2026 Ferrari challenger would be more in line with his driving style. It will, however, be interesting to see how the driver finishes this season compared to his teammate.
