Valtteri Bottas shares his honest opinion on Lewis Hamilton's struggles to adapt to Ferrari 

Valtteri Bottas believes Lewis Hamilton will need time to fully adapt to Ferrari and his teammate Charles Leclerc. Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, the Finnish driver downplayed the notion that transitioning between Formula 1 cars is an easy process.

Hamilton has faced difficulties adjusting to Ferrari in his debut year, largely due to key differences from the Mercedes car he drove for 13 years. Bottas, who made a similar move from Mercedes to the Ferrari-powered Sauber, highlighted areas such as engine characteristics, suspension setup, and braking style as significant changes. Carlos Sainz has also experienced adaptation challenges after switching from Ferrari to the Mercedes-powered Williams.

According to Bottas, Leclerc will likely have the upper hand initially due to his familiarity with the car, but expects Hamilton to close the gap over time. He emphasised that adaptability is a crucial trait in F1, especially with the constant evolution of the cars, and reflected on his own transition to Sauber as a steep learning curve.

Speaking about the struggles of Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari, Bottas said:

“For sure, there’s things to learn, things to get used to. And especially if you are with a team-mate that has got used to all that, he will have the upper hand initially, but racing drivers always need to be adaptive. You need to be able to adapt to a new car. Pretty much every year there’s a new car anyway – power units will change and so on.”

“So it’s nothing unusual in F1 that you’re always adapting, always learning because this sport just keeps developing. But I know what he’s probably been going through and for me, personally, it was quite straightforward. But we must remember that at that time when I joined Alfa Romeo, there was the big regulation change so there were many new things anyway already.”

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Valtteri Bottas highlights key differences Lewis Hamilton is facing after switching from Mercedes to Ferrari

Valtteri Bottas pointed out that the drivability between a Mercedes and a Ferrari can differ significantly. He noted that key areas of contrast include power mode settings, energy harvesting, and deployment systems.

One area where Lewis Hamilton has struggled is braking. Mercedes runs Carbon Industrie brakes, whereas Ferrari uses Brembo. Bottas recalled facing similar challenges when adjusting to Ferrari systems, particularly with brake heating. While he acknowledged these differences, he believes they don’t make adapting an overwhelming task, and that with time, drivers can adjust to the nuances of each package.

Highlighting key differences between the Mercedes and Ferrari, Bottas said:

“The driveability is a bit different. How the power comes, especially at the lower revs. But which one is better? It’s difficult to say. The settings, the power harvesting, power deployment, you’ve got different strategies. They call them differently, so you need to learn how to use that. Even the harvesting, the braking can be a bit different because of that. [The sound] can be different, but that doesn’t really make a big difference. That’s it really. It’s not rocket science.”

Asked if the braking system was the key area where adaptability was a concern, he replied:

“For me, it didn’t make a difference. Obviously, Mercedes uses CI. Sauber used Brembo, which is what Ferrari used. The only small difference for me was how the brakes warm up. Another brand warms up quicker, but for me the behaviour was same.”

Lewis Hamilton has had to adapt to Ferrari’s braking system, which incorporates engine braking, a shift from what he was used to at Mercedes. The difference in rear suspension geometry has also impacted the car’s balance, presenting another challenge for the seven-time world champion.

Currently sitting sixth in the drivers’ standings with 79 points, Hamilton trails teammate Charles Leclerc by 25 points. While Leclerc has secured two podium finishes, Hamilton’s only top result remains a sprint race win in China. As he continues to acclimatize to his new environment, the 40-year-old remains in contention for his first full race podium and victory of the 2025 season.