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Lewis Hamilton is reportedly having to fight through internal politics at Ferrari to suggest any fundamental design improvements in the car following the start of a difficult partnership with the team. The SF-25 has largely underperformed compared to its competition on the grid and is yet to win a race this season, with just six rounds to go.
The Briton moved to Ferrari this season, ending a decade-long stint with Mercedes. This was considered to be a strong move, owing to the team's performance in the 2024 season. However, Ferrari had changed the fundamental design of the SF-24 while working on the SF-25, which resulted in an extremely unpredictable and uncompetitive car this season.
While Lewis Hamilton faced struggles adapting to its drivability, reports from Corriere Della Sera claimed that he is having to fight "internal politics" in the team to address the major issues with the car. The report further claims that former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel faced similar issues when he moved to Ferrari back in 2015.
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Hamilton is one of the most experienced drivers on the current F1 grid. With seven World Championships under his belt, his contributions to Mercedes helped them continue their dominant period for a very long time. Similar suggestions at Ferrari would also assist the Italian team in becoming one of the top performers on the current grid; however, the reports state otherwise.
This has further led to Hamilton being frustrated with the team; however, he does not reflect that in his media interactions during a race weekend.
Lewis Hamilton close to breaking Didier Pironi's Ferrari record amidst difficult season run
As mentioned, 2025 hasn't turned out to be a strong season for the Italian outfit. Both their drivers have struggled with the race pace, denying them any chances of a race win. Despite this, Charles Leclerc managed to finish within the top three multiple times in the season's initial rounds. This gave Ferrari a strong hold of second position in the Constructors' Championship.
However, Lewis Hamilton's P4 is his only best finish with the team this season, and finishing the Singapore GP down in P8 matched him with Didier Pironi's record. The latter joined Ferrari in 1981 and did not score a top-three finish until the next season, marking 18 races without a podium finish after joining Ferrari.
With the seasons lasting much longer now, Lewis Hamilton just surpassed the 18th round in Singapore without a podium. If he does not manage to finish in the top three at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend, he will break the infamous record.
Despite the season being long enough, Ferrari has not managed to improve their performance. The team dropped to third place in the championship after Mercedes pulled off an amazing race in Baku, and is now under threat from Red Bull who is just eight points behind.
