Lewis Hamilton deemed "a scapegoat" by Italian journalist amid Ferrari's disappointing season

Lewis Hamilton’s first year in Ferrari colors has not gone the way either he or the Scuderia had hoped. And now one of Italy's most respected motorsport voices is pushing back against the growing narrative that the seven-time F1 world champion is to blame.

Leo Turrini, long known for his candid takes on Ferrari's fortunes, says the British driver has been unfairly cast as the fall guy for a campaign in which the team itself has fallen well short of expectations. Ferrari sits second in the Constructors' standings, but it's a distant second with a gap of 299 points to McLaren.

The SF-25 has proven tricky and inconsistent with an operating window so narrow that performance swings dramatically from track to track. The radical new rear suspension, touted pre-season as a game-changer, has failed to unlock sustained pace. In 14 races, Ferrari is still without a grand prix win, their five podiums all coming from Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton (44) and Charles Leclerc (16) before the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. Source: Getty

Hamilton, meanwhile, is yet to score a GP podium in red, his best Sunday result being fourth place at Silverstone. His two podiums this season have both come in Sprint races, which underlines the difficulty of his adjustment. It was in Hungary, after a frustrating run to 12th - his worst finish of the year - that Hamilton made the sensational claim that Ferrari 'should probably change' drivers.

Turrini's response to that sentiment was clear.

"Denying his glorious past is foolish. Hamilton is a legend and no one can downplay that... He is 40 years old, Ferrari gave him an embarrassing car and on top of that Leclerc is faster. If Hamilton still has it, he'll have to prove it. But making him the scapegoat for a Scuderia that in 14 races has scored less than half of McLaren's points isn't wrong. It's ridiculous," he wrote on his blog.

The comparison to Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes years, where he was backed by a dominant car, often tailored to his driving style, and fought alongside or ahead of compliant teammates, is inevitable. But Turrini's point is that the SF-25 is far from a title-winning platform and that Leclerc's results, while stronger, are still insufficient against McLaren's near-total dominance.

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Lewis Hamilton looks ahead: "We'll come back extra energised for the second half"

Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian GP. Source: Getty

For now, the scoreboard is clear: Ferrari's five GP podiums belong to Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton's Sprint results have been his bright spots, but until that translates into Sunday success, the pressure will not ease.

If Hungary was the lowest point of Hamilton's Ferrari career so far, he is not letting it define his season. His 12th-place finish at the Hungaroring capped off a subdued first half in which he had averaged 11th in the rankings - a far cry from his usual front-running status.

From Miami to Canada, he logged a steady run of ninth to 11th-place ratings, rarely finding the raw speed expected of him but equally avoiding major errors. In pure pace terms, the year has been more muted than even his difficult 2024 campaign. But speaking to the media after the Hungarian GP, Hamilton remained determined (via F1):

"This (year) has definitely been the most intense one, I'd say, just from a work perspective integrating into a new culture, a new team, it's not gone smoothly in all areas, and it's been a real battle... I'm just really excited for this break. I think for everybody, particularly the guys at the factory, they'll definitely enjoy this time with their family and we'll come back extra energised for the second half."

Despite being 40 and in a new environment, his competitive fire remains intact. The summer break gives Ferrari the breathing room to analyze the SF-25's weaknesses. For Lewis Hamilton, the focus is on maximizing what he has rather than lamenting what's missing.